PLAYING THE FIELD
AS MORE and more NFL teams move into sleek new homes, owners can justify the expense—and especially those taxpayer handouts—by promising to host more than just football. "We will be the busiest stadium in the country from Day One," Michael Drake, then the chief revenue officer at the Falcons' parent company, said of Mercedes-Benz Stadium before it opened in 2017.
Last year, according to data from SeatGeek, Atlanta's sports palace hosted nearly one public event per week. But are there enough events—sports and otherwise—to go around? The NFL's other three newest stadiums, all built in the last decade, weren't as busy as Mercedes-Benz in 2018.
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MERCEDES-BENZ STADIUM (FALCONS)
COST: $1.5 BILLION
NCAAF
6
MONSTER JAM
2
NFL
10
INTL. SOCCER
7
MLS
23
SUPERCROSS
2
TOTAL EVENTS
50
METLIFE STADIUM (GIANTS/JETS)
COST: $1.6 BILLION
NFL
20
CONCERTS
10
INTL. SOCCER
4
MONSTER JAM
1
TOTAL EVENTS
35
LEVI'S STADIUM (49ERS)
COST: $1.3 BILLION
NCAAF
3
CONCERTS
3
NFL
10
INTL. SOCCER
3
MONSTER JAM
1
TOTAL EVENTS
20
U.S. BANK STADIUM (VIKINGS)
COST: $1.1 BILLION
INTL. SOCCER
1
MONSTER JAM
1
X GAMES
4
NFL
12
NCAA BASEBALL
13
CONCERTS
5
SUPERCROSS
1
NCAA BASKETBALL
2
TOTAL EVENTS
39