State and local governments spend significant sums for the construction, operation, and continued maintenance of sports stadiums and arenas. According to recent estimates by sports economists, “between 1970 and 2020 state and local governments devoted $33 billion in public funds to construct major-league sports stadiums and arenas in the United States and Canada, with the median public contribution covering 73 percent of venue construction costs.” In other words, taxpayers were on the hook for nearly three-quarters of the costs of each new sports venue that received public funding in the past 50 years.
Public interest in funding sports stadiums is at a fever pitch. A non-exhaustive list of publicly discussed future sports stadium subsidies can be found below. These do not include any public spending on new construction related to the US hosting the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028 or the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City in 2034.
Tax Foundation
By: Adam Hoffer, Joseph Johns, Craig Depken
October 3, 2024