London’s Economy Received A £56.5M Boost From The MLB London Series 2024
- MLB London Series 2024 generated £56.5 million economic impact for the London economy
- Rest of UK benefitted by £8.7 million
- There were 108,956 tickets sold
- 90% thought hosting major sports events are beneficial to London and the UK
London received a boost worth nearly £56.5 million to its economy after Major League Baseball returned to London Stadium in June 2024 with two back‑to‑back matches between the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies.
According to an impact study undertaken by Two Circles, the MLB London Series 2024 resulted in a boost of £65.1m to the UK’s economy as a whole (up from £60m in 2023).
The study, undertaken following the two games played between the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies on 8th and 9th
June 2024 at London Stadium on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, highlights the huge impact the event had on local, regional and national economies. The survey was completed by more than 5,100 fans over the two event days.
The new study confirms that the London 2012 legacy continues to contribute to the UK economy with Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and its venues attracting millions of visitors and high profile events every year. Abba Voyage, for example, has attracted more than 1.5million visitors since it opened in 2022 and contributed £322 million to the economy.
The study found that:
- 108,956 tickets were sold for the two‑game MLB series with many more taking part in pre‑game activations and events held across the capital.
- Of those who attended the event, an estimated 21% travelled from the United States and contributed 72% of the direct economic impact (up from 19% in 2023).”
- The MLB London Series 2024 contributed a total economic benefit of nearly £56.5 million (£53m in 2023) to the London economy and £8.7 million to the rest of the UK – this includes spending on accommodation, food and drink, travel and retail.
- The average satisfaction score from attendees was much higher than the industry average at 8.94 out of 10.
Today’s figures follow studies of other sporting events at London Stadium. Previous iterations of the MLB London Series saw £37m generated for London’s economy in 2019 and £53 million in 2023. The 2017 World Athletics Championships (10 days) held at London Stadium brought in more than £100 million to the wider UK economy. For both the baseball and athletics events, the flexible multi‑use ability of London Stadium means it can be used for global events which benefit the wider economy.
The MLB London Series 2024 resulted in £4.6m of direct consumer spend in England outside London, £3.3m in Scotland, £430k in Wales and £340k in Northern Ireland. In addition Ireland benefitted from £620k of economic benefit and France from £670k.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “London is the sporting capital of the world and it was fantastic to have the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies play a series this summer, delighting fans and providing a significant boost to the capital’s economy. “Londoners and visitors can look forward to more live MLB action in the capital in 2026 as we continue to build a better and more prosperous city for everyone.”
Graham Gilmore, Chief Executive of London Stadium, said: “The London Series continues to be a landmark event for baseball outside of the US, showcasing the passion for the sport on a truly global stage. The weekend not only reinforced London’s status as a world‑class destination for international events but also delivered significant economic benefits, boosting tourism, hospitality, and local businesses. Thanks to the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies for making it such an incredible weekend!”
Images Credit: Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
