Sports stadium subsidies continue unabated, despite no good justification

Published July 22, 2018 4:00am ET



Less than two miles from the Capitol building sits the brand new Audi Field. Home of the D.C. United soccer team, the new stadium hosted its first match on July 14, 2018, and gave D.C. taxpayers a first look at their $150 million “investment.”

Audi Field officially won the title of “largest stadium subsidy in MLS history” after the D.C. city council voted 12-0 for the stadium in 2014. The team achieved this despite owners Jason Levien, Erick Thohir, and soon-to-be majority owner Patrick Soon-Shiong pegging their net worth in the billions. Soon-Shiong himself is worth almost $8 billion, and will become the wealthiest owner in the league.

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