A first-of-its-kind report found Oregon’s spectator sports is a growing bright spot, but investments like the Moda Center renovation may be key to its future.
PORTLAND, Ore. — As Oregon struggles to add jobs and attract new residents, a new report finds one industry is quietly outperforming expectations: sports. Spectators added about $1.7 billion into the state economy and supported roughly 9,000 jobs in 2024.
The report, produced by economic research firm ECONorthwest in partnership with Sport Oregon, frames spectator sports as a critical “traded sector” industry — one that draws outside dollars into the state much like Oregon’s dominant semiconductor industry.
Mike Wilkerson, director of
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