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Spring Training a financial boon to Florida

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By Doug Miller / MLB.com

08/05/09 5:40 PM ET

Spring Training in the Grapefruit League in 2009 was an unprecedented financial success, according to a new study commissioned by the Florida Sports Foundation in conjunction with the Sunshine State's office of the governor and office of tourism, trade and economic development.

The study, which was conducted by the Bonn Marketing Research Group, revealed that the total economic value of MLB Spring Training to the Florida economy was estimated to be $752.3 million.

The Spring Training season also generated $284.2 million in total labor income and supported or created 9,205 part-time and full-time jobs. The study showed an increase of $299 million from a study completed during the 2000 Florida Spring Training season that showed a $453 million economic impact.

"Major League Baseball has a following that transcends economic downturns," said Dr. Mark Bonn, president of the Bonn Marketing Research Group. "People make their decisions to travel almost a year out and many of the respondents were repeat attendees at Spring Training games. Economic conditions have little effect upon their decision to come to Florida for Spring Training. It's more about loyalty than economics."

According to the study, the largest source of direct expenditures from Spring Training baseball operations is fan spending, which accounted for 91 percent of the total expenditures generated by the 39 days of the Grapefruit League schedule in 2009. Spring Training game attendee expenditures were calculated from data collected through 1,600 personal interviews at the 15 Spring Training stadiums in Florida.

The study also revealed that Florida Spring Training attendees spent an average of $313.65 per party per day, spent 5.82 nights and traveled with an average party size of 2.95 persons. More than 60 percent of the fans surveyed had previously attended a Florida Spring Training game and 91.9 percent indicated that they would attend another game.

Doug Miller is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.