The South Florida sports industry: An Overview of the State’s Major Teams and Events
South Florida may not have the longest history in sports compared with other regions around the county, but they have since gone on to enjoy some being the home to some of the country’s biggest sports teams in the present day.
There wasn’t even a professional sports team in Miami until 1966 with the emergence of the Miami Dolphins in the NFL. Prior to this they only had the University of Miami teams to cheer on, who did not enjoy too much success until the 1980s and 1990s.
Today, professional sports teams are thriving and in turn producing a massive economic impact for the region.
In the Fiscal years 2019/20 and 2020/21 is was discovered that the sports industry in Florida amounted to $146.5 billion according to the Florida Sports Foundation. The part-time and full-time jobs which have been created with these sports has generated $13.9 billion in states and local taxes too.
The Miami Dolphins, the first pro team in Miami, struggled at first just like the University of Miami football team. But once the 70s hit they went on to win three Superbowl’s in succession from 1971 to 1973. In their 1972 season they completed the perfect season with 17 wins from 17 games, something which has never been done again.
With the success of football in Miami, the city then went on the enjoy the emergence of their first NBA franchise in 1988. The Miami Heat were brought to the city during the NBAs golden years with Michael Jordan exciting the world at the Chicago Bulls where NBA media analysts always had Jordan and Co. as favorites. The Hall of famer’s gambling habits were well documented as before and after training he would always be spotted playing a game of poker amongst his team mates and coaching staff to lighten the competitive mood.
It took time for the Heat to be able to compete for attention in the city with their NFL and College Football teams’ history, but they reached the top in 2006, winning the playoff final with help from Shaquelle O’Neal and Dwayne Wade over the Dallas Mavericks which really ignited the basketball fever in the city.
1993 saw two further additions to the city in the form of the Florida Panthers who joined the NHL and the Florida Marlins who joined MLB.
Both sides enjoyed early success with the Panthers reaching the Stanley Cup Finals in their third season and the Marlins winning the World Series in 1997 over the Cleveland Indians.
Miami now had teams in every major market in the United States and has since been able to introduce Inter Miami into Major League Soccer. With the ownership group including English footballer David Beckham, there has been plenty of excitement around the team since its expansion season in 2020.
As well as these five huge teams in Americas most popular sports, there are also some of the biggest sporting events in the world taking place in Miami.
In Tennis, the Miami Open takes place in March/April every year and is a key date in all tennis players and fans calendars. Taking place at the Hard Rock Stadium since 2019, it boasts a 13,800-seat center court within the stadium, as well as a 5,00 seat Grandstand court and two other feature courts near the stadium.
While the tennis is the main draw, fashion, music, and food also play a big part in the event which draws fans from all over the world to come in and experience the culture of the city as well as the best of the best in tennis compete.
The World Polo League, Beach Polo takes place each year in Miami Beach which is the largest and most notable beach polo event in the world. Eight international teams compete in electric scenes with VIP areas for polo fans to enjoy in complete comfort. It is the oldest team sport in the work and general admission is free so people can get a taste of the sport in one of the most beautiful and stylish locations available.
Another horse event in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational. Miami has been the home to the world’s richest thoroughbred horse race since 2017 which features 12 horses racing for a prize of $16 million.
The race attracts the best horses and owners in the world to compete for this huge prize fund. Horse racing is one of the most gambled on sports in the world and attracts fans into the stands to experience the event as well as bet on the outcome of this incredible race.
From the Hard Rock Stadium to the LoanDepot Park and the Miami-Dade Arena, the city has some incredible stadiums and venues to enjoy sport in this exciting city. No matter the sport you want to see, there will be an incredible option for you in Miami to enjoy it in comfort and style as well as more often than not, under beautiful sunshine.
The city is prospering from its sports team successes which not only is enjoyable for the fans, but a real bonus to the city’s finances too.
