Indianapolis has seen tourism dollars add up in the past, from Final Fours, to the NBA All-Star Game, to the Super Bowl — and the city is about to benefit again.
INDIANAPOLIS — Saturday night was an example of what an NBA Eastern Conference championship looks like in Indianapolis, and it’s just the start of what’s to come now that the Pacers are in the NBA Finals.
“I would say, from probably around 5 p.m. upwards, like we were completely packed, like we were on a wait all night until after the game even went out. So I would say everyone flooded the city pretty early and stayed all night long,” said Justin England, manager of the District Tap.
Events like this are basically free marketing for the city.
Indianapolis has seen tourism dollars add up in the past, from Final Fours, to the NBA All-Star Game, to the Super Bowl.
And the city is about to benefit again.
“Anytime you have a sports team in the city make a run in the playoffs, you know these, these city benefits, certainly, you know, all the additional revenue you get, you know, you get the immediate impact, especially in the hospitality and leisure,” said Tim Zimmer, a professor at UIndy.
While it is not currently known just how much money the sold out Game 6 brought in, Indianapolis will definitely see the results.
“It’s like taking a boulder and throwing it into a middle of a very still pond. The ripple effects just go out and out and out, and honestly, you don’t know exactly where they’re going to end up, but certainly you’re throwing that stone in the water and you’re betting benefiting from all these ripple effects,” Zimmer said.
Now, the city will look to capture more cash from the NBA finals by welcoming visitors and their wallets.
“We earned it, deserve it, the team played hard, the fans played hard, and the city deserves this because this is a great sports city and we love our Pacers,” said Matt Asen, a superfan.
For major events, the city of Indianapolis will shut down Georgia Street to use it as a “fan zone.” It is currently unknown what the city will do for the NBA Finals, but either way, businesses are looking forward to that money making boost.
“It’s the difference of, like, a $20,000 day to a $70,000 day. You know, you’re dealing with 200 checks a day, 1,200 checks a day. So it’s like at least six times the amount of flow that we’re used to here on, like a normal day,” said England.
Businesses are now looking forward to what at least two home games in the NBA Finals will do for their revenue streams.
