The Sports Business Journal (SBJ) has named Dallas the number one sports business market in the United States.
Dallas tops the list of the Top 50 cities for sports business in the U.S. and is featured on the cover of the latest issue, edging New York, Charlotte, Minneapolis, and Atlanta.
Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Nashville, Chicago, and Phoenix are also among the top 10.
“Everyone’s moving to Dallas,” writes the SBJ. “Texas is the No. 1 destination for California transplants, and Dallas is a primary destination for many people looking for lower taxes, lower cost of living and a business-friendly regulatory environment. The same holds true for sports.”
The SBJ mentions the presence of sports companies, sponsorship opportunities, and events, many of which have moved from other metropolitan areas, as a big reason for Dallas being ranked at the top.
Other contributing factors include the cost of living, fan attendance, stability of the local sports market, the economic environment, feedback from industry executives, the number of career opportunities, convenience/travel accommodations, and facilities.
Boasting professional teams in every sport, the Dallas-Fort Worth area has become a hub for leagues like the PGA and the XFL and will play host to numerous college sports events and tournaments in future years. Dallas is also one of the host cities for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
“Very exciting, very humbled,” Dallas Sports Commission Executive Director Monica Paul told The Dallas Express about the honor.
“It’s a big win to be the number one sports business city, something that – for me and the sports commission – is one of our main goals and objectives: to position Dallas as a premier sports destination locally, regionally, and nationally.”
“Anytime you’re having industry executives and people who are our clients, and we do business with or want to do business with saying those types of things, it’s pretty special,” Paul concluded.
Other Texas cities in the Top 50 list include Austin (No.23), San Antonio (No.27), and Houston (No.29).
Austin made the list because of its widespread relationships in college and minor league sports and the recent emergence of Austin FC in Major League Soccer.
San Antonio’s sponsorship environment and tournament hosting landed it on the SBJ list. The journal also cited increased use of the Alamodome, which will host the XFL championship game later this year and which is also the home stadium for the San Antonio Brahmas, as reasons for San Antonio’s emergence.
While Houston has plenty of teams and will also host the 2026 World Cup, the SBJ found that “it was not that walkable and too spread out for a quick visit,” costing it valuable points.
