Professional Sports Teams

Pittsburgh, the City of Champions, thrives on the pride its sports teams inspire.

The success of Pittsburgh’s world championship caliber-teams, venues and events – rallying points for Pittsburghers near and far - heavily influence tourism, real estate development, media exposure, growth through relocation and community pride.

The Impact

  • Pittsburgh is home to three World Champion major-league professional sports teams: Pittsburgh Pirates, Pittsburgh Penguins and Pittsburgh Steelers, along with professional teams in soccer, roller derby, ultimate frisbee and more.
  • Combined, the Penguins, Pirates and Steelers, annually attract 3 million fans into the city for sports events. Including concerts and other events in their home venues, the number increases to almost 4 million attendees, annually.
  • In a five-year span (2013-17), these teams induced $6 billion in direct visitor spending for the region, generating more than $73 million in city, county and state tax revenue, annually.
  • Directly, or indirectly, they create an average of 10,100 jobs per year, contributing $3.2 billion in wages for the region.