For years, cities like Boston and Chicago were seen as the “gold standard” of sports culture and business. Even today, they are among the biggest sports cities in America in terms of history, culture, and fan passion. But a vibrant sports ecosystem is no longer just a source of entertainment. Sports Business Journal’s latest 2026 Best Sports Business City ranking, which crowns Atlanta as the No. 1 ahead of New York, explains that legacy is no longer enough – they need to add to a thriving urban economy. Atlanta isn’t alone when it comes to the Southern takeover.

Four Southern and Sun Belt cities are sitting right at the top of the rankings: Atlanta at No. 1, Charlotte at No. 4, Phoenix at No. 8, and Miami at No. 10, while Boston (17th) and Denver (16th) have slipped behind. And these are not just some random numbers. SBJ studied 2,384 U.S. markets, analyzed more than 540,000 data points, tracked nearly 1,700 sporting events, and gathered input from over 120 industry executives. It’s pretty clear that the South is no longer just catching up; it is moving forward in full force.

Atlanta Became the Blueprint

Atlanta’s rise didn’t happen overnight, but with years of planning, becoming the best modern sports business city. The city has a full house of major professional sports franchises with the NFL’s Falcons, MLB’s Braves, and the NBA’s Hawks. It also has the MLS’s Atlanta United FC and the WNBA’s Dream. The roster will only expand with an NWSL expansion team arriving in 2028. But it is not just about attracting the teams.

This place has everything a major sports market needs in one place. It is easy to travel to a global airport (Delta Airline), it is a strong base for big companies like Coca-Cola, and it has major healthcare facilities like Northside Hospital.

Atlanta’s sports growth is strongly backed by large real estate development projects, too, like The Battery Atlanta, which is built around the Atlanta Braves Stadium. Now, it’s not just a baseball stadium but a small city with hotels, offices, shops, and even homes. It generated around $137 million in tenant sales and contributes around 13.3% of the Atlanta Braves’ total revenue.

Then there’s their $5 billion Centennial Yards district, which is near Mercedes-Benz Stadium. It is built on an old, empty rail yard area called “the Gulch,” which is set to have a 5,300-seat live music venue and approximately 2,000 residential units by the year 2030.

Atlanta’s business climate attracts sports-tech startups and corporate headquarters. For them, the return on investment is no longer just the ticket sales but also in tourism dollars, job creation, media exposure, and an enhanced quality of life for residents.

The city is hosting top events in its stadium, like the NFL, MLS, and college football playoffs, and is also going to be the premier host city for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is a turning point for the city. Its multi-faceted investment in the sports ecosystem is why Atlanta has overtaken a sports city like New York, which now ranks second. And turns out, everyone in the South is watching Atlanta.

The South Has Become America’s Growth Engine

The Sun Belt in the United States is growing very fast, 8 of the 15 fastest-growing large U.S. metros are in the South. On top of it, more and more people are moving to Southern states like Texas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee instead of staying in older, more expensive regions. Texas alone gained around 470,000 new residents in just one year. And it’s not just about people.

Big companies are also moving to the Sun Belt. These corporate headquarters are shifting from high-cost states like California to Southern states because it is cheaper to run a business there. The main reasons are simple: lower costs, lower taxes, more available workers, and business-friendly rules that make it easier for companies to grow.

For example, Tesla relocated its headquarters from California to Austin, expanding manufacturing and operations. Chevron is another example that moved its headquarters from California to Houston, Texas, mainly because of lower costs and a more business-friendly environment. This is where sports become very important.

Sports teams follow population and capital. But Atlanta’s edge lies in infrastructure investment—not just demographics.

The Stadium Became the Business

South’s success came from its open land and ample space to build large stadiums and other real estate ventures, opening doors to expansion projects. Their Battery Atlanta, Texas Live! in Arlington, Nashville Yards, Miami World Center, Orlando sports tourism areas, and entertainment district in Charlotte are all prime examples of it. They are no longer just stadiums but an ecosystem of their own with many facilities available, something that is not the case with Northern cities.

For example, in New York City, Yankee Stadium is surrounded by dense housing, roads, and old infrastructure. There’s no space to build an entertainment zone. So, expansion is not possible horizontally. Teams can surely renovate their stadiums, but can’t turn them into a “stadium city.”

Boston has a similar situation. Their Fenway Park is one of the oldest stadiums in baseball and sits inside a very crowded neighborhood. This makes expansion tough. And that’s where the difference comes.

Remember the 2019 NFL Draft in Nashville, Tennessee? It was an outdoor, downtown event as compared to the in-stadium events. Nashville is also renovating the stadium for the Tennessee Titans, planning one much bigger than Nissan Stadium. Best part, there’s a high chance Super Bowl 2030 might come to the city for the very first time. The difference is pretty clear. That’s why they are also leveraging hosting bigger events to get more visibility, which only acts as a catalyst.

The World Cup and Super Bowl Economy

While everything discussed above is true for Atlanta, major sports events are also adding to its No.1 position. They are now gearing up to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup and will host 8 World Cup matches, including a semifinal game. This means millions of fans around the world will come to the city and will give it major coverage and revenue. It already has plans in place to handle the large crowd.

It has one of the busiest airports in the world, Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, which connects well with the city. Then there’s the major transportation system, MARTA, which will give fans a quick travel facility. At the same time, their real estate development projects, like Centennial yards and South Downtown redevelopment, are also speeding up.

They also have the Mercedes-Benz Stadium aiding the cause. FEMA funding, state support, and private investment accelerated Atlanta’s infrastructure projects. Atlanta hosts Super Bowl 2028. Las Vegas hosts 2029. Nashville may host 2030—a Southern sweep. This adds up to why major events are moving towards the South.

Why Legacy Sports Cities Are Losing Ground

Legacy cities like New York, Boston, and Chicago retain passionate fan bases and storied traditions. They have seen dynasties build and break across the sporting world, which has only strengthened them. Their teams have legendary traditions, loyal supporters, and decades of success. In simple words, these cities still have huge emotional and cultural value in sports.

But modern sports business prioritizes growth and revenue over history.

Leagues, investors, and teams now also care about how easily a city can grow, expand, and make money in the future. This is where many older northeastern cities are facing problems.

A lot of their infrastructure is old and expensive to upgrade. Expanding around stadiums becomes difficult. Chicago is a good example of this challenge. Right now, teams like the Bears, White Sox, Bulls, Blackhawks, and Fire are all looking at major stadium or expansion projects that together could cost more than $14 billion. City and state leaders lack a unified plan to fund and coordinate these projects. There are debates over public funding, zoning, approvals, and how much the government should support these projects.

On top of that, older northern cities also deal with weather limitations, which can affect year-round events and tourism. Cold winters make it harder to keep outdoor entertainment districts active throughout the year compared to warmer Southern cities. The real issue is not fan passion but economic flexibility and its issues with expanding.

American sports once revolved around trophies and history. Now they’re driven by business fundamentals. That is why many cities in the South are now turning into sports capitals, media centers, and major event hubs. In the end, the future of American sports may belong to the cities that build the strongest business ecosystems around sports, not just the teams that win the most titles.