http://www.insidevc.com/vcs/other_sports/article/0,1375,VCS_256_2019523,00.html "Owning or operating stadiums is how MLS says it will become profitable after losing $250 million in its first five years. Excerpt Anschutz Entertainment Group President Tim Leiweke said in October that the Galaxy will be profitable this year and that within five years its soccer properties overall will make money. Paying as much as $150,000 a game to rent places like Giants Stadium with little, if any, revenue from suites, parking, concessions or extra events like concerts, Anschutz's teams lose about $25 million to $30 million combined a year, according to Kevin Payne, AEG's vice president of soccer operations. "If city governments say it's worthy to tax inhabitants to build a stadium to see more soccer, this may be the tipping point for the sport," said Rick Burton, executive director of the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center at the University of Oregon. "They're still five years from being profitable, but once they get to that point, it's a kind of evergreen." What do you think of these statements? Can we consider this to be a businessman's pitch (that is, slightly exaggerated) or an accurate assessment of what the future could bring?
Once you own the stadium and not have to pay rent and get 100% of all revenues (tickets,parking,concessions etc) it is common sense you will eventually make a profit.Also the benefits of having control of scheduling and not having gridiroon lines and a regulation grass field help promote the sport.If they can get communities to give them land and help pay for the stadium even better.