The 2018 Cactus League season generated $373 million for Arizona’s Gross Domestic Product, according to a study by the L. William Seidman Research Institute at Arizona State University’s W.P. Carey School of Business.
Scottsdale Stadium is in the heart of Old Town Scottsdale and home to the San Francisco Giants during Spring Training. (Independent Newsmedia/Arianna Grainey)
Researchers surveyed out-of-state visitors who came to Arizona for games at all 10 Cactus League ballparks and measured only new dollars that flowed into the state due to spring training, a press release states.
A GDP by state estimate is used by the Bureau of Economic Analysis as the primary indicator of the economic health of a specific geography.
Previous Cactus League studies have reported output as the primary measure of economic impact. In 2015, a study found that the Cactus League generated a $544.3 million total output; the corresponding total output figure for 2018 is $644.2 million, an 11 percent increase on the 2015 output estimate in real terms.
“This is a grand slam for Arizona’s economy,” Cactus League President Jeff Meyer said in a prepared statement.
“These figures tell the story of spring training’s awesome power as a tourism engine – and we need to ensure that the industry continues to remain robust. We are grateful to Major League Baseball and the host communities for their partnership and to the Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority for providing funding for ballpark construction and renovation.”
(Independent Newsmedia/Arianna Grainey)
The study found that the Cactus League created 6,439 annual jobs paying $224.6 million in this year. Spring training also directly generated a total of $31.9 million in taxes for the state ($24.2 million) and local governments ($7.7 million).
Founded with two teams in 1947, the Cactus League has grown to 15 Major League Baseball teams training at 10 facilities across Maricopa County. In 2018, 223 Cactus League games drew a total of 1,796,403 fans, an average of 7,710.
The 2018 Cactus League season was shorter than in previous years, but the economic impact it generated was massive. Six out of 10 fans came from out of state, providing a boost to Arizona’s tourism sector. ASU researchers interviewed 3,910 Cactus League attendees.
The survey found a statewide benefit, with 26 percent of fans reporting that they would visit another part of Arizona during their trip.
“The Cactus League is a game-changer for Arizona’s tourism industry,” Debbie Johnson, director of the Arizona Office of Tourism, said in a prepared statement. “Generations of baseball fans have fallen in love with Arizona – and Arizona loves to welcome them back every spring.”
The median Cactus League visitor attends three games, spends four nights in Arizona and spends $405 per day, according to the study.
“The Cactus League’s $373 million contribution to Arizona’s Gross Domestic Product is a dividend of the Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority’s investment in spring training facility construction and renovation,” Scarlett Spring, chair of the Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority board, said in a prepared statement.
“As a state, we must remember that spring training is a competitive industry that cannot be taken for granted. We congratulate the Cactus League for consistently delivering on the promise made to Maricopa County voters when they approved Prop. 302.”
The numbers provide a snapshot of a vital force in Arizona’s economy, according to the study’s author, Dr. Anthony Evans of the L. William Seidman Research Institute, according to a release.
“We have studied the economic impact of major sporting events in Arizona like the Super Bowl and the Final Four, and while they create massive economic impact, they occur here intermittently,” Mr. Evans said in a prepared statement.
“The Cactus League brings in impact of this magnitude every year. It is phenomenal—and it happens every spring in this state.”
The Cactus League is measuring the year-round economic impact of the 10 ballparks and will announce those figures at a later date.