The Impact of a Professional Sports Franchise on County Employment and Wages

Stadium boosters have long used the promise of economic development as a means of gaining public support to finance local sports teams. Past research has shown little or no impact on employment or income when viewed at the MSA level. This paper expands the current literature on the economic impact of professional sports franchises. Following Coates and Humphreys (2003) we look at employment and wages at the county level using detailed SIC and NAICS industry codes. We find mixed results on employment within a county, but find a negative effect on the payrolls within these industries