Hunden Partners (Hunden), a real estate development advisory practice, has released its Top 10 Sports Host Cities for hosting major sporting events.
The annual list is a guide for destination real estate stakeholders, destination management organizations, and other municipal decision-makers.
Based on Hunden’s proprietary criteria and evaluation process, the top three sports host cities are Atlanta, Indianapolis, and New York City. First-place Atlanta hosted two Super Bowls, three NCAA Final Fours, and 46 other major sports events over the past 30 years. Indianapolis was named runner-up, highlighted by eight Final Fours and 28 other major sports events, and New York City ranked third with 38 major sports events. Kansas City, Dallas-Fort Worth, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Charlotte, Las Vegas, and Phoenix rounded out the list.
“Becoming a top sports host city can lead to thousands of hotel rooms filled, millions of dollars of economic impact to hotels, and an increase in business success for bars, restaurants, shops, and ride-hailing services,” a Hunden press release states.
To compile the list, Hunden conducted a comprehensive analysis of more than 50 major metropolitan areas in the U.S. that have bid for and been awarded hosting responsibilities for televised sports events in the U.S. from 1997 to 2028. The goal was to determine how much national attention has been generated from hosting major nationally televised sporting events that feature rotating neutral sites over the past 30 years. The firm evaluated the levels of hosting impact based on event viewership. It then assigned points to each city for event success measures, including relative viewership, general media attention, and overall popular culture hype surrounding major sports events. The results included in Hunden’s annual State of the Industry report highlight data-driven predictions and trends in major league sports facilities.
The list recognizes cities that have established themselves as consistently strong host communities that bid for major events with top-notch sports facilities and adjacent event and convention complexes, as well as quality hotels within walkable distance.
Hunden observed that successful host cities for major national sporting events have raised their brand awareness across the United States, which leads to greater numbers of other events and conventions being hosted, as well as new private investment and development, accelerated economic growth, and added urban vibrancy within those markets. This list is the result of linking the accumulation of nationally televised events with the cities’ economic growth and opportunities.
“All of this creates new employment opportunities for residents. Hosting major events consistently over many years, as the top cities have done, creates a major event-hosting economic ecosystem that supports thousands of jobs,” Hunden continues. “As an economic and tourism development strategy, the top cities have shown that creating the right physical hosting package.”
The full Hunden State of the Industry 2023 Report, including a spotlight section on Top Sports Host Cities, is available for download.
