Featured Image: Major League Baseball/ London Legacy
The Major League Baseball (MLB) World Tour: London Series saw 110,000 tickets sold with 21,000 going to fans from the US, as the event provided a £53m (€62m/$67m) boost to the English capital’s economy.
MLB returned to London Stadium in June this year after a four-year break, with two back-to-back matches between the St Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs.
According to an impact report from sports marketing agency Two Circles, the MLB London Series resulted in an economic boost of almost £60m, with the rest of the UK benefitting from £7.68m in spend.
The study was undertaken following the two games on June 24 and 25, with the survey completed by more than 6,200 fans.
Results showed that not only had 19% of fans travelled to London from the US, but a further 10% had travelled from other countries. Some 33% of visitors travelled from somewhere in the UK outside of London and 38% came from the capital.
“I am delighted that the return of MLB to the London Stadium this summer has been a huge success,” said London Mayor Sadiq Khan.
“London is the sporting capital of the world, and I am proud that we have been able to play host to a series that has boosted interest in baseball and benefited the economy across the capital. Londoners and visitors can now look forward to next summer’s matches as we continue building a better and more prosperous London for everyone.”
Graham Gilmore, chief executive of London Stadium, added: “We understood the importance of bringing MLB back to London for the wider economy, not only here in the capital but across the UK. Securing the multi-year agreement means we can build year on year success for the London Series, delivering world-class baseball at our venue while helping to grow the game across Europe.”
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