A study by the American City Business Journals found that Birmingham could financially support a professional athletic team, but which sport would folks in the Birmingham metro area be most likely to attend?
According to the report, Birmingham is an “underextended” market for professional sports, and has capacity for a soccer, hockey, basketball, or football team.
The American City Business Journals’ report estimates that a metro area needs $14 billion in total personal income (TPI) to support a Major League Soccer Team, $45 billion for the NBA, and $48 billion for the NFL. Birmingham’s TPI is $54 billion.
The only professional sport out of the Magic City’s range, according to the study, is the MLB, which requires a total yearly personal income of a whopping $104 billion.
An analysis by the Birmingham Business Journal makes the argument that the city is most likely to be able to support a professional soccer team because the most of Alabama already invests hugely into college football, particularly at the University of Alabama and Auburn University.
“When you take into account just how many Birmingham residents are season ticket holders at the schools—not to mention the corporate boxes and sponsorships—it’s safe to assume the Tide and Tigers are cutting heavily into the metro’s available TPI for a pro sports team,” the BBJ’s Ty West points out.
While soccer is an increasingly popular sport in the United States, it can’t hold a candle to how much southerners love football, so would Birmingham metro residents spend money to go see a match?
Take a minute to participate in our informal poll.
What sport would you most likely support, if Birmingham got a professional team?
