After three futile attempts at establishing a professional football team in Detroit in the 1920s, the "new" game took a firm foothold in the city beginning in 1934, when Detroit radio executive George A. Richards purchased the Portsmouth, Ohio, Spartans for the then-astounding sum of $8,000 and moved the franchise to the Motor City. The Spartans had joined the NFL in 1930 and, in 1932, played in one of history's most pivotal games, a hastily-scheduled championship game against the Chicago Bears that was played indoors at Chicago Stadium. From that game came three major rules change and the division of the league into two divisions and the establishment of an annual NFL title showdown.

The Lions also made their lasting mark by scheduling a Thanksgiving Day game in their first season in 1934 and, except for a six-year gap between 1939 and 1944, continuing the tradition until the present day. Both before and after 1934, other NFL teams have tried Turkey Day games, and except for the Dallas Cowboys, without significant success. In the 1950s, the Lions enjoyed their finest years ever with four divisional titles and three league championships in 1952, 1953 and 1957. Stars of those glittering teams, whose annual showdowns against the archrival Cleveland Browns fascinated the pro football world, included such future Pro Football Hall of Famers as quarterback Bobby Layne, running back Doak Walker, tackle-guard Lou Creekmur and safety Jack Christiansen.

The Detroit team moved from the University of Detroit Stadium to Briggs Field, home of the baseball Tigers, in 1938, where they stayed for 37 years. In 1975, the Lions moved into the Pontiac Silverdome where they played for 37 years. Then in 2002, the team moved back to downtown Detroit and into a new domed stadium, Ford Field. The Lions are led by Chairman William Clay Ford, who in 1964 purchased sole ownership of the Lions for $4,500,000. It has been a struggle for some time now trying to sell Detroit Lions Tickets.