NBA All-Star Game windfall for host city
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowA report from the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission on the economic impact of the 2022 NBA All-Star Game could bode well for Indianapolis when it hosts the game in 2024. The organization says the high-profile event had a total economic impact of nearly $250 million, including $141 million in direct spending. “Those were astounding numbers coming out of Cleveland, especially considering we were really coming out of COVID at that point,” said Pacers Sports & Entertainment President & COO Mel Raines.
In an interview with Inside INdiana Business sports contributor Bill Benner, Raines said Cleveland had to amend some events associated with the All-Star Weekend. Still, the Pacers executive is excited about the potential exposure of Indianapolis on the global platform.
“When we saw those numbers, and we saw the impact, especially the global impact of what the All-Star game reaches. 215 countries. They had 223 million Instagram views that weekend. And that’s just a level of global impact we don’t usually see from some of the events we host here,” said Raines.
The Cleveland study reveals the city hosted 121,000 visitors for the event, representing 45 states and 20 countries.
“The impact for the kinds of sports we usually do here have such a huge impact in our country, but this is kind of next level for us,” Raines said.
Indianapolis was originally scheduled to host the event in February 2021, but the lingering effects of the global pandemic forced organizers to postpone.
The three-day long event is now set for February 16-18, 2024. With the event still 19 months away, the pandemic-induced pause is giving organizers more time to prepare for the NBA showcase event. The delay is also allowing for completion of the $360 million renovation of Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
“It was one of the many Silver Linings from COVID, that we’ll be completely done with the project. We’ll be done this fall with everything inside. And then in the spring [of 2023], Bicentennial Unity Plaza will be open, which we’re really excited about,” said Raines.
The outdoor plaza will be located just north of Gainbridge Fieldhouse. It will have an ice-skating rink, community basketball courts, art installations, water features and more.
Salt Lake City will host the 2023 All-Star Game in February.