Sports have an excellent and unique power to impact society positively. Sport reflects society’s values, significantly contributes to culture, entertainment, and the economy, and even plays an important educational role. However, like many other areas of life with such high attention, the sport has a lot of contentious issues that cause discussions. One such contentious issue is whether or not sports stadiums should be funded by public money.
The issue is controversial from an ethical point of view since not all citizens whose taxes can be spent on the construction of the stadium are interested in or fond of sports. From their point of view, it would be more expedient to direct these funds to other, more universal and critical social issues. Yet, sport is not just a game, entertainment for fans, or business for team owners. It is an essential part of the city’s social life and impacts many areas. Sports have a significant effect on American culture and values. Jackie Robinson’s entrance into Major League Baseball sparked long-overdue progress in African American civil rights. Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova were not only brilliant tennis players but also trailblazers in LGBT acceptance in America. Government funding and support are needed to defend this crucial social role of sport. Teams may not be interested in building stadiums on their own in small towns without government support. Funding the construction of stadiums in different cities can make sports more accessible and allow people from different groups to find their way into professional sports and make society more open and equal.
The main argument against financing stadiums with state money is the financial inexpediency of such significant investments. According to them, the economic benefits that the construction of the stadium can bring to the city are disproportionate to such costs. However, this argument is debatable since, most often, only direct revenues that will be directly received from the stadium itself are considered, and indirect economic benefits are rarely taken into account. For example, already at the construction stage, such a project can begin to bring benefits since, most often, local construction companies can be involved in construction work, which will create economic benefits. The stadium’s construction also entails the creation of new jobs within the stadium. In addition, such reasoning rarely considers the benefits that can be received by local small businesses, such as cafes and restaurants, shops, hotels, and other businesses related to tourism infrastructure. These benefits are hard to quantify, especially in the long run, but they prove that society can benefit from financing sports stadiums with public money.
It is essential to note the educational role of sports. Athletes who have achieved success in professional sports are admired by young people and have a significant impact on them. The actions and values of idol athletes contribute to shaping young people as members of society. While some successful athletes become philanthropists and help the development of society, sports and education, others may exhibit unacceptable behavior or even break the law. By supporting sports with public funding, the state may reserve the right to support the best examples, while with commercial funding, this component is secondary, and profitability and not value comes to the fore.
The question of whether or not sports stadiums should be funded by public money is controversial from an ethical point of view. To be sure, some teams may be overcharging or manipulating the city to get unreasonably large investments for their stadium. However, with a reasonable and well-considered policy in this matter, the financing and support of sports with public money have much more positive consequences for society than the commercialization of this important area of life.