These World Cup cities will spend the most on power bills to host matches
World Cup matches have a special buzz – spans of scoreboards, bright lights and music pumping through hulking speakers. What’s fueling all the magic? It’s not national pride.
The World Cup’s seven American host cities are projected to spend more than $860,000 in total on electricity bills to power the matches that take place at their stadiums, according to a study from Texas-based electric company Payless Power. Fully or partially enclosed stadiums will have the highest electric bills.
“Looking at electricity use on a per-match basis rather than totals reveals a clear pattern,” the study said. “The type of roof over a stadium has a major influence on the energy required for each game.”
Los Angeles is predicted to pay the most for its match-day venue at $19,108, followed by San Francisco ($16,432), New York/New Jersey ($13,179), Boston ($12,367) and Atlanta ($11,839).
Total costs for each city are highest in Los Angeles at $152,864 for eight matches, and lowest in Seattle, where six matches are projected to cost $38,106.
As for actual usage, Dallas leads the way with a projected consumption of 99,925 kWh, enough to power 1,035 area homes for one month.
Houston is slated to use 97,344 kWh, which could power 785 homes in the area for a month, while Atlanta will use the third-most energy with 96,020 kWh, enough to keep the lights on for 884 local homes.
The three top energy users this World Cup are cities with indoor stadiums, which require more power to keep their air conditioning running.
The electricity bills cities face are part of a wider theme of a high-priced global soccer experience.
Tickets cost as much as 10 times more than some games at the 2022 World Cup, with the lowest-priced tickets to the USA’s knockout-stage match costing just over $2,800 after going for just over $500 in mid-May, according to ticket price tracking site Ticket Data.
Food and beverage costs are hammering wallets, too.
Miami Stadium offers caviar-topped hash browns for $75 and a hot dog-French fry-Coke combo costing $19.35 before tip. Lobster rolls are $34 at Kansas City Stadium.
Beer, which has become a popular concession at games where temperatures reach into the 90s, is costing as much as $17 per cup.
