Why Are Sports Stadiums Not Centrally Located?

Do you want to go and watch a football match? Maybe you are finally looking to go on that soccer tour? Whatever sport you choose, get ready to travel because stadiums are not centrally located. In 2005, the Champions League Final was barely within the city limits of Istanbul. To go one further, the New York Giants don’t even have their stadium in the state – it’s in New Jersey! There are dozens of other examples, and this begs the question: why?

Here are the reasons your team won’t be moving down the block anytime soon.

Available Land

Let’s take the example of the Giants and put it into perspective. New Yorkers, ideally, would expect the stadium to be in Manhattan, the epicenter of the city. Failing that, Brooklyn or Queens would be fine too. The problem is that downtown real estate is by no means available, especially on that scale. Manhattan is a concrete jungle where every inch of land is covered by skyscrapers, offices or apartment buildings. It’s called the Empire State for a reason. Property is at a premium in most major cities in the world, and that is why the outskirts are the only option.

Price

Even if there were a plot big enough to host a sports stadium, it would cost a fortune. The average rent for Londoners for a one-bedroom apartment is almost $2,600. Just imagine how much acres and hectares of land costs. Simply put, franchises and teams are businesses that need to even out the books at the end of the year. One way to do this is to rent a cheap plot and build. After all, it isn’t as if the people will stop coming because it’s a thirty-minute journey. They still make money when the stadium is miles away from civilization, and that’s the kicker.

Health And Safety

Building a stadium is a gargantuan task. In a matter months, there have to be seats, a pitch and all the amenities to cater for players and fans alike. With all the heavy lifting and moving of materials, there are bound to be incidents. Thankfully, the introduction of mezzanine gates and emergency stop buttons has helped workers. But, what about civilians? Yes, contractors block off the site to limit the damage, but there is no telling what could fall from the sky and bulldoze the local community. Stadium sites which are out of the way are not just cheaper but more secure.

Demand

Sports teams have done the same thing for years, mainly for the reasons above and also because it was familiar. And, they will continue to do the same thing for the foreseeable future because demand will not diminish. At least, it won’t happen due to out of reach facilities. Over the decades, fans from home and abroad have flocked to stadiums to watch their teams, and the demand is a high as ever. Considering the establishments get their money, there is no real reason to change.

Can you think of any extra reasons? Get in touch to voice your views.