Sports Teams and Clubs

The 1,300 sports teams in the US participate in live sporting events before a paying audience. The industry includes professional and semi-professional teams but does include leagues. Major sources of revenue include admissions fees; broadcast and other media rights; advertising; events produced under contract; and meals, snacks, and beverages. Major sports include baseball, basketball, football, hockey, and soccer.

Dependence on Broadcast/Media Rights

Broadcast and media rights account for almost one-third of revenue.

High Labor Costs

The sports industry is labor-intensive; labor costs account for about 40% of sales.

Sep 2, 2026 - MLB Growth Remains Uneven

• MLB’s expected fourth consecutive attendance increase points to continued strength in live sports demand, but the growth is uneven across teams, according to a Front Office Sports report. Through Aug. 31, league attendance reached 61.09 million, up 0.9% year over year, with average attendance of 29,524 per game, yet only 11 of 30 teams are currently posting gains. The Rays’ 519,372 increase exceeds MLB’s total net attendance gain, while the Mets have lost nearly 370,000 attendees, highlighting wide differences by market and team performance. Overall attendance growth supports ticket, concession, merchandise, and sponsorship revenue for US sports teams and clubs. Fan interest remains supported by rule changes and star power, but the outlook carries significant risk. MLB’s collective bargaining agreement expires Dec. 1, and an expected lockout could disrupt the 2027 season and threaten attendance, media, and venue-related revenue.
• Employment by sports teams and clubs declined 5.7% in June 2026 compared to a year ago, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Employment by sports teams and clubs has grown nearly 40% over the past 10 years, faster than the 10.8% growth in overall private employment. Average wages for nonsupervisory employees at spectator sports were flat in June 2026 year over year, to $26.31 per hour. According to the Consumer Price Index, the cost of admission to sporting events grew 2.1% in July 2026 year over year. Revenue for spectator sports, including sports teams and clubs, grew 3.3% in Q4 2025 year over year and was up 20.7% compared to the previous quarter, according to data from the Census Bureau.
• According to ESPN and Reuters, the NBA's planned NBA Europe league is attracting unprecedented investment, with more than 20 ownership groups submitting bids for 12 permanent franchises and some offers exceeding $1 billion ahead of the league's planned October 2027 launch. The NBA and FIBA-backed competition is expected to begin with 16 teams and could generate more than $10 billion in cumulative economic activity across European basketball during its first decade, according to ESPN. For the US sports clubs and teams industry, the expansion highlights the growing value of global sports assets and creates new opportunities for international media rights, sponsorships, merchandising, and strategic partnerships. At the same time, it could intensify competition for investors, talent, and commercial opportunities as US leagues increasingly pursue overseas growth to diversify revenue beyond North America.
• Major League Baseball’s rollout of the Automated Balls and Strikes (ABS) Challenge System marks a significant technology shift for the US sports teams and clubs industry, according to a recent report from Technology Magazine. The system combines human umpiring with real-time pitch challenges powered by T-Mobile’s 5G network and Hawk-Eye tracking technology. MLB’s adoption of ABS reflects a broader push by sports organizations to modernize gameplay, improve fairness, and enhance fan trust while preserving traditional elements of the sport. The challenge-based format also introduces new in-game strategy for teams and players. Beyond officiating, the system generates large amounts of performance data that clubs can use for analytics and player evaluation, highlighting how professional sports leagues are increasingly integrating advanced technology into operations, competition, and fan experience.

Industry size & Structure

The average sports team employs about 96 workers and generates about $32.4 million annually.

• The sports team industry consists of about 1,300 firms that employ about 123,800 workers and generate almost $41.6 billion annually.
• The industry is concentrated; the top 50 companies account for over 60% of industry revenue.
• The most valuable NFL teams include the Dallas Cowboys, the Los Angeles Rams, and the New York Giants, according to Forbes. The most valuable MLB teams include the New York Yankees, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Boston Red Sox.
• Women’s teams may be part of the same sports leagues as men’s teams (like the WNBA and the NBA) or completely separate entities.