The Real Reason You Pay for NFL Stadiums

This week, guest host Eric Boehm is joined by J.C. Bradbury, an economist at Kennesaw State University and one of the leading critics of taxpayer-funded sports stadiums. Bradbury is the author of a forthcoming book, This One Will be Different, on the “false promises and fiscal realities” of stadium subsidies.

Boehm and Bradbury discuss why stadiums rarely deliver on the economic benefits touted by team owners and local politicians, and how public officials, media outlets, and hired consultants help create the illusion that these projects pay for themselves. Bradbury explains why these deals often amount to a reallocation of existing local spending rather than genuine economic growth, and why taxpayers end up footing the bill for facilities that primarily benefit private sports franchises.

The conversation also touches on the Super Bowl, the Olympics, and the surge of new stadium proposals across the country. Bradbury makes the case that America is on the verge of another stadium building boom, driven by political incentives and public enthusiasm rather than sound economics, and argues that cities would be better stewards of tax dollars if they resisted the pressure to subsidize major sports projects.

The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie goes deep with the artists, entrepreneurs, and scholars who are making the world a more libertarian—or at least a more interesting—place by championing free minds and free markets.

0:00—Introduction

0:56—Loving sports without loving subsidies

6:01—Marketing taxpayer-funded stadium projects

16:15—Civic pride and measuring ROI

21:20—What makes sports stadiums unique?

24:18—The upcoming stadium building boom

35:01—Truist Park development

43:03—Examples of fiscal restraint

46:04—The Super Bowl and Olympic Games

51:18—Bradbury’s career trajectory

• Producer: Paul Alexander
• Audio Mixer: Ian Keyser