The analysis of the economic impact of spectator sports is a vital public policy topic as $75 billion has been spent on stadium construction since 1990 in the US alone, with nearly $35 billion of this coming from taxpayer subsidies. True public cost of sports franchises is much higher than this as this figure excludes facilities outside the Big 5 domestic leagues (like NASCAR track, NCAA facilities, minor league baseball, and the Canadian Football Leagues), public subsidies for major events like the Super Bowl or Olympic Games, and excludes sports subsidies outside of direct stadium construction subsidies.

Including contributions from many of the most notable researchers studying the economic impact of sports, topics include impacts of stadiums and franchises on local economies, labor markets, and tax collections, the effect of sports franchises on property values, and changes in the public and academic discourse on sports subsidies over time. This volume will be of interest to researchers and students of sports economics, management, public policy, and public finance.