Tampa's Estimated Total Loss In Sports Revenue Between $290-390M

Tampa's estimated total loss from sports cancellations over the coronavirus pandemic is somewhere between $290-390M, as the virus has "wiped out five major sporting events in the Tampa Bay area," according to Baker & Knight of the TAMPA BAY TIMES. The virus has wiped out NCAA Tournament games, WrestleMania, the PGA Tour Valspar Championship, IndyCar's Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg and the final days of MLB Spring Training. The biggest financial blow has been the "loss of WrestleMania 36, moved from Raymond James Stadium to a closed set at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando." Previous economic impact estimates for the event ranged from $165M -- last year in New Jersey -- to almost $182M in Orlando in '17. Put all the individual estimates together and the total loss is around $360M, a figure calculated "without considering lost revenue from the Lightning, Rays, Rowdies and Vipers games." It also "doesn't include the publicity that comes with these high-profile events" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 3/28).