A Look at Their Billion-Dollar Price Tags

The five most expensive stadiums in America, are also some of the most costly arenas in the world. They include major cities such as New York, Atlanta, and Las Vegas, and big-name sponsors such as SoFi and MetLife.

Every year, cities replace dated stadiums with modern facilities that offer greater profit potential. More seats, luxury boxes, parking, higher ticket prices, and high-priced concession fares are all factors that make new stadiums attractive to cities and sports franchise owners.

However, it isn’t just the construction of new buildings that changes the rankings of the top five. Elaborate renovations propel the overall construction costs of these buildings up the rankings as well.

5. Yankee Stadium

Bronx, NY
Capacity: 50,000
Cost: $1.5 Billion

Along with his crusty temperament, pseudo-guest appearances on Seinfeld, and passion for hiring and firing Billy Martin, former New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner will also be well-remembered for his $1.1-billion contribution to the Yankees’ new ballpark. Many baseball fans were hesitant to see the original Yankee Stadium demolished, but impressive efforts were taken to keep the history of the old building present in the new park.

From the layout of the field to the design of the entrance, the overall shape and design mimic the original 1923 ballpark blueprint. Even old-school touches were fostered into the new design, such as manually operated scoreboards in the left and right fields. And, of course, Monument Park, the shrine from old Yankee Stadium that honored baseball legends such as Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, was also relocated to the new park.

4. Mercedes-Benz Stadium

Atlanta, GA
Capacity: 71,000
Cost: $1.5 billion

Not to be confused with the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, La., the Mercedes-Benz Stadium replaced the Georgia Superdome as the home of the Atlanta Falcons in 2017. It was the site of the Super Bowl in 2019, marking the first time that Atlanta hosted the event since 2000.

The stadium’s signature feature is its retractable roof, which operates on a sophisticated rail system and, when open, is intended to give the visual impression of a set of bird wings. Meanwhile, the stadium’s “100 Yard Club” is an expanded concession and viewing area that extends the length of the football field. In March 2019, Mercedes-Benz Stadium became the first to go cashless and only accept credit and debit cards for concession transactions.

3. MetLife Stadium

East Rutherford, NJ
Capacity: 82,500
Cost: $1.6 billion

New Jersey currently claims the world’s most expensive stadium, but when you learn the details of the financing, it’s little wonder they were able to build such an impressive stadium. Two of the NFL’s most prominent teams, the New York Jets and the New York Giants shared the construction costs equally and continued their stadium-sharing plan when they played in the old Giant Stadium. Completed in 2010 and known as MetLife Stadium, the new building is the largest NFL stadium without a dome.

Some clever technology was incorporated into the design of Metlife Stadium, such as lighting the exterior in either Jets’ green or Giants’ blue (depending on the home team), installing over 2,200 HD displays throughout the building, and the ability to track concession sales as they occur. The last capability allows the stadium’s management to quickly address shortages, long lineups, and other customer service issues. Of course, even alien technology won’t fill the stands if your team stinks, which was duly noted by Giants’ owner, John Mara.

“I’ve been in this business long enough to know that nothing enhances the fan experience more than putting a winning team on the field,” Mara said.

2. Allegiant Stadium

Las Vegas, NV
Capacity: 65,000
Cost: $1.9 billion

Completed in 2020, the new home of the Las Vegas Raiders costs a whopping $1.9 billion. The 65,000-seat facility is also the home stadium of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. With nearly two million square feet, it’s no surprise that the stadium cost a pretty penny. The facility includes a translucent roof for outdoor daylight and walls that can be opened for a view of the Las Vegas Strip.

But the walls and windows aren’t the only reason Allegiant costs nearly two billion dollars. One of the most expensive features is on the ground: the stadium was built with two separate playing fields. The first, made of artificial turf, is used by the UNVL for college games. The second field is made of real grass, planted in a giant tray of soil that can be rolled out on hundreds of electronic wheels. The four-foot-deep, twenty-million-pound field allows the Raiders to play on real grass and dirt–even in the middle of the desert.

1. SoFi Stadium

Inglewood, CA
Capacity: 70,000
Estimated cost: $5.5 billion

The biggest price tag goes to SoFi Stadium, the new home for the Los Angeles Rams and the Los Angeles Chargers. Completed in September of 2020, the enormous facility is scheduled to host the Super Bowl in 2022 and the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games in 2028.

SoFi Stadium was originally priced at just under $2 billion, but after numerous construction delays and cost overruns, Rams owner Stan Kroenke would ultimately pay more than double that amount for the 70,000-seat arena. After borrowing an additional $500 million from the NFL to get the project over the finish line, the SoFi Stadium finally opened in 2020.

The Bottom Line

Our world’s grandiose stadiums are more than simply infrastructure for giving the local team a place to play and rock stars a stage to perform on. These buildings can become printing presses for money-generating revenue from ticket sales, merchandise, concessions, advertising/naming rights, and parking fees while serving as a symbol of sports and culture for each building’s respective city.

The construction of some buildings has shown to be a wise use of tax dollars, and some stadiums have revitalized cities and provided them with steady cash cows. Other cities have been burned by inflating construction and repair costs, and sometimes, they never find a way to produce an adequate return on their investments.