World Series Loser Wins Big in Economic Impact

The Philadelphia Phillies’ World Series loss was still a big win for the City of Brotherly Love. 

The Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau said last week that the team’s playoff run generated an economic impact of $78 million.

• The playoff run resulted in $49 million in direct spending in the city.
• The Phillies hosted three World Series games — the maximum for a team without home-field advantage.
• Philadelphia’s Center City neighborhood had around 90% hotel occupancy during the National League Championship Series.

Whether or not Philadelphia makes another big postseason run in the coming years, the city can anticipate another major rush of sports fans: Both it and World Series rival Houston were selected among 16 host cities for the 2026 World Cup. 

Houston Cashes In

The World Series champion Houston Astros’ recent run of success has also been a boon to the city. 

Prior to the series, officials in Houston, which also held three World Series games, estimated that each game would bring an economic impact of $12 million to $14 million.

An analysis by Houston First found that the city saw $8 million in economic impact for each of its four home games in the 2019 World Series, which the Astros lost to the Washington Nationals, and an $8.3 million average for three games it hosted last year in their 4-2 loss to the Atlanta Braves.