Economic Impact of Taxpayer-Funded Stadiums

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on March 28 that an agreement had been reached to keep the Buffalo Bills in Buffalo with a new $1.4 billion stadium—of which $850 million will come from taxpayer money. The Bills aren’t the first team to use public funds to build their own stadium, but the dollar amount is the highest on record—topping the $750 million that Las Vegas used to lure the Raiders just two years ago. According to Hochul’s statement, the investment will be recouped by the economic activity the team generates. NTD spoke with. Alicia Cintron, who holds a Ph.D. in Sport Administration and researches urban planning and stadium development, about how beneficial these deals are to the taxpayers that fund them. She says it depends on whether the stadium will host events year-round or not.