Executive Summary

The MLB Playoffs are one of the most concentrated economic catalysts in professional sports. Across the last three postseasons, stadiums averaged more than 43,000 fans per game, filling venues and driving significant spending in hotels, restaurants, bars, retail, and transportation. Philadelphia’s 2022 playoff run alone generated $78 million in local impact and more than 34,000 overnight visitors, showing the power of postseason baseball to move regional economies.

Using conservative midpoints and four home games per city, the combined impact across likely host markets in a typical postseason is projected to reach approximately $494 million in direct and indirect economic activity. This surge supports about 3,950 full-time-equivalent jobs across stadium operations, hospitality, transportation, and related services. Local and state governments collect $31–40 million in tax revenue through sales, hospitality, and related taxes.

These outcomes reinforce Major League Baseball’s role as a driver of tourism, employment, and commercial activity. For the cities of Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Toronto, Seattle, Chicago, San Diego, Los Angeles, New York, Boston, Cleveland, Detroit and Cincinnati, the 2025 playoffs represent a high-value opportunity to capture spending and showcase their markets on a national stage.

Key Takeaways

• Teams and Leagues: Capture record gate receipts, media revenue, and sponsorship activations.
• Local Businesses: Hotels, restaurants, bars, and transportation providers experience a surge in volume and revenue.
• Workforce Impact: Thousands of seasonal and part-time jobs are supported, particularly in hospitality and venue operations.
• Tax Base Growth: Millions in incremental state and local tax collections strengthen public budgets.

Event & Market Overview 2022–2024

Case Studies

• New York 2024: NYCEDC estimated $20–25M per home playoff game for the Yankees, a strong benchmark for Tier-1 markets.
• Philadelphia 2022: $78M total impact, 34,000 overnight visitors, 35,000 room nights across eight home games.
• Phoenix 2023: Seven home games (NLDS/NLCS/WS combined) drove measurable downtown spending and hospitality surges.

Model Assumptions:

• Per-game local impact (direct + indirect + induced):
  • Tier 1 (New York, Los Angeles): $22.5M
  • Tier 2 (Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, San Diego): $12–14M
  • Tier 3 (Milwaukee, Cleveland, Detroit, Seattle, Toronto, Cincinnati): $8.5–10M
• Employment Conversion: ~1 job per $125K of total activity
• Tax Yield: 6–9% of total activity (state + local)

Example Base-Case Estimates (Four home games per city)

• New York and Los Angeles: ~$90M each; ~720 jobs; $5.4–8.1M taxes
• Chicago and Boston: ~$56M; ~450 jobs; $3.4–5.0M taxes
• Philadelphia and San Diego: ~$48M; ~380 jobs; $2.9–4.3M taxes
• Seattle: ~$36M; ~290 jobs; $2.2–3.2M taxes
• Employment Conversion: ~1 job per $125K of total activity
• Milwaukee, Cleveland, Detroit, Cincinnati: ~$34M each; ~270 jobs; $2.0–3.1M taxes

Ecosystem & Stakeholder Landscape

• Teams and MLB – Capture gate receipts, media rights revenue, and fund the postseason players’ pool, which reached a record $129.1M in 2024.
• Media and Sponsors – National rights (FOX, FS1, TBS, ESPN) and local ad markets benefit from higher ratings and premium ad pricing.
• Hospitality and Tourism – Hotels, restaurants, bars, and rideshare operators see dramatic game-day and overnight demand spikes. Areas surrounding ballparks such as Wrigleyville in Chicago illustrate how venue-driven spending supports nearby businesses.
• Local Governments – Generate sales, hospitality, and parking taxes that strengthen public budgets.

Results & Leveraging Fan Loyalty

• Big-City Elasticity: New York and Los Angeles demonstrate $20–25M per-game potential. Even three or four home dates could generate nine-figure citywide impact.
• Mid-Market Power: Philadelphia, San Diego, Chicago, and Boston deliver $10–15M per game, providing prime opportunities for sponsor activations and fan-focused promotions.
• Byes and Scheduling: Cities with first-round byes should maximize Division Series hosting windows, where two home games are most likely.
• Workforce Planning: Each $10M of local impact supports roughly 80 Full-Time Equivalent jobs, guiding staffing for hospitality, transportation, and security.
• Tax Revenue Timing: Typical four-game home runs deliver $2–8M in additional tax collections, often aligning with fiscal-year budgets.
• Hospitality Strategy: Downtown ballpark markets see the largest spillover effects. Packaging hotel stays and themed experiences helps capture peak demand.
• Consistent Economic Driver: Attendance and game volume have remained strong since the format change in 2022, highlighting the reliability of postseason baseball as a recurring source of tourism, local spending, and regional economic growth.

Sources

• MLB Playoff Format Explained
• USA Today on 2024 Attendance
• Baseball-Reference Attendance Data
• Visit Philadelphia Economic Impact
• NYCEDC Yankees Economic Impact Estimate
• MLB Postseason Pool Record
• Arizona Republic Coverage of D-backs Run

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