Wharton finance professor Kevin Kaiser was new to Philadelphia when the Eagles won their first Super Bowl in 2018, and he remembers heading downtown to watch the parade. More than a million raucous revelers gathered in freezing temperatures to cheer the team’s long-awaited victory.
“I got to see firsthand how Philadelphia handles a massive sporting event and a celebration of a million people — and it was astonishing,” said Kaiser, who joined the street party again when the Eagles won a second time in 2024.
The city’s ability to accommodate major events has been tried and tested, but perhaps never like this year. By the end of 2026, Philadelphia and its suburbs will have hosted NCAA March Madness, the PGA Championship, the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, six FIFA World Cup matches, and a yearlong celebration of America’s 250th birthday.
It’s a lot, even for Philly. But Kaiser is confident.
“Philadelphia has what it takes to host the world, and they’ve been very good at it for a long time,” Kaiser said.
The professor moderated a recent panel convened by the Wharton Sports Analytics and Business Initiative. Titled “The Economics of Hosting the World: How Sports Operate as a Local Growth Engine,” the panel featured three expert guests: Tim McDermott is president of the Philadelphia Union, the city’s Major League Soccer franchise; Angela Val is president and CEO of Visit Philadelphia, the city’s tourism marketing agency; and Larry Needle is executive director of PHL Sports, a division of the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Turning FIFA Fans Into Philly Fans
The FIFA matches begin June 14 and are expected to draw more than 500,000 visitors to the City of Brotherly Love. Kaiser’s first question to the panelists was, “What will success look like?” Their answers described a broad strategy, with each treating the World Cup as part of a bigger opportunity to market their organization and the city at large.
Philadelphia Union is using FIFA buzz to attract new fans to the franchise with the goal of doubling its fan base over time. McDermott said the team is prioritizing the capture of data on everyone buying tickets and attending events. They plan to use that data to boost brand awareness, promotions to draw first-time fans, and retention to keep them coming back. They’re also partnering with schools as they target youth soccer players they hope will grow up to be lifelong Union fans.
“I got to see firsthand how Philadelphia handles a massive sporting event and a celebration of a million people — and it was astonishing.”— Kevin Kaiser
McDermott said he thinks hosting the World Cup could help put soccer on par with football, basketball, baseball, and hockey in the United States.
“There’s a perception of a big four. We need it to be a big five. That’s the way it has to be coming out of this,” he said. “I think we’re at an inflection point, and the World Cup is going to help drive the next 10, 20 years of growth.”
About 43 million overnight visitors came to Greater Philadelphia last year, and that number is expected to increase by about 3% this year, according to Visit Philadelphia. Visit Philadelphia’s Val said the World Cup is a chance to put the city’s “best foot forward,” and gain repeat visitors and new permanent residents. It’s not just sports that visitors come to Philly for, she said, they also want to soak up the vibe.
“When you want to elevate yourself as a city, you have to do big things,” Val said.
When Kaiser asked her about the potential of “crowding out” visitors who will avoid Philadelphia this summer because of the FIFA games, Val said that her agency markets the area throughout the year and through different appeals.
“Sports is one part of what we are marketing, but we are celebrating the 250th anniversary, and this country has contributed so much to the world outside of history with sports and music and arts and culture and fashion and culinary,” she said, adding that the city can capitalize from FIFA much in the same way that Atlanta grew after hosting the 1996 Olympics.
For PHL Sports’ Needle, success translates into improved quality of life for all Philadelphians. He recalled the city making a failed bid for the World Cup in the 1990s, offering the inadequate Veterans Stadium and a lack of hotel rooms.
“We were pitching that surface and trying to put lipstick on the proverbial pig,” he said. “We don’t have to put lipstick on anything now. We have this amazing city and amazing venues, and it really sells itself.”
Avoiding the Olympic Debt Trap
The majority of direct funding affiliated with the World Cup is private, with support from the city in the form of services. Kaiser asked the panelists how the city can avoid expensive missteps. He mentioned Montreal, Canada, which accumulated more than $1 billion in debt after hosting the 1976 Olympics. Kaiser said rather than showcasing, smart cities should run their events like a business.
“Putting on these things — there are lots of benefits. But it’s not free,” he said.
“When you want to elevate yourself as a city, you have to do big things.”— Angela Val
Val said Philadelphia is uniquely positioned because of its sheer number of stadiums, from high school and college venues to professional arenas. It also has a transit system and international airport, enabling it to host without the need to build infrastructure. She agreed that cities must ensure a good match with events if they want to host without debt.
What Happens After FIFA?
Kaiser said although Philadelphia has established itself as a host city, 2026 could mark a new beginning. He asked the panelists for their insights on how to build off the momentum of the World Cup.
Val said her agency also looks at 2026 as a “launchpad” that will hopefully lead to greater tourism, higher population, and more investments coming into the city. She ticked off a list of the city’s attributes, including its affordability and walkability when compared to other metro areas.
“How can we position this place to be the place that people choose to live their life?” she said.
Every stakeholder has different long- and short-term goals around the FIFA games, she said. For example, a T-shirt vendor will be looking to sell more shirts around the games, then think about how to turn their stand into a store.
She said stakeholders will strategize and conduct economic impact studies before and after the events, but it’s hard to know the results until after the events are done. The panelists agreed that it’s taken years of hard work to bring so many big events to Philly in the same year.
“It’s one of those things where you’re happy but also freaked out at the same time,” she said. “Nobody ever questioned, could we handle it? We were like, of course, it’s Philly.”
Source: Upenn.edu
