Brewers' playoff run delivers economic boost across Wisconsin, leads to more visibility worldwide
MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Fans across the state are rooting for a Brewers, win and the more the Brewers win, the more the economy across the state grows. While excitement has taken over the city of Milwaukee, fans in Madison are also showing love to the Brew Crew.
“I’ve been a Brewers fan my whole life, my parents love the Brewers, and the most exciting thing, I would say right now, is just the community. Everyone is just super excited because we are just doing so great and on a roll,” Ava Clinton-Ragonese, a lifelong Brewers fan, said.
That energy translates to more dollars spent at local establishments. State Street Brats in Madison has been seeing the benefits.
“Every game matters, and people want to be here and watch the game and be glued in with other fans, and that’s the best part is they see other fans just as dedicated as they are,” Kaeden Meuer, manager at State Street Brats, said.
Meuer says every time Wisconsin teams do better, so does their business. The bar and restaurant sees double the number of customers when the Brewers are playing. They aren’t alone. According to the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC), the state in general sees a huge impact.
“When you look at the tangible - directly on each playoff game - you are looking at around $4 million. But then indirectly, there is another 5 million on top of that,” Dale Kooyenga, president and CEO of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce, said.
One way that money is brought into the state is by the players themselves. The athletes pay income taxes on the games they play in the state. MMAC says they pay more income taxes than most Wisconsinites do.
“When we have these players coming in making tens or millions of dollars from Los Angeles, they are actually paying more Wisconsin income taxes than most Wisconsinites,” Kooyenga said. “So, it’s good that we have a stadium that is able to have them here so they are working here, so we not only get the entertainment, we get the tax revenue from that, and that helps the state recuperate its costs for investing and keeping the Brewers here.”
The state of Wisconsin, Milwaukee and surrounding areas have made major investments to keep the Brewers in the state.
In 1995, the state Legislature voted to create a stadium district, five-county, 0.1% sales tax in Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Washington and Waukesha counties. Back in 2023, another funding bill was passed to keep the Brewers here until 2050. The MMAC says as the Brewers do better, they also help create visibility for Wisconsin and Milwaukee internationally, which can lead to more economic development coming to the state.
“In just China alone, it has hundreds of cities that you’ve never heard of that are significantly bigger than Milwaukee, but when they watch sports, whether it be the Milwaukee Bucks or the Milwaukee Brewers, and they recognize that name, it’s a lot easier to get a foot in the door to have conversations about all that our city has to offer,” Kooyenga said.