Today, Explained

Buffalo Billions

Apr 7, 2022

Andrew Zimbalist, an esteemed economics professor specializing in sports, and Jerry Zaremsky, Washington bureau chief for the Buffalo News, delve into the controversial $850 million public funding for a new Buffalo Bills stadium. They discuss whether such financial support ever benefits the community and explore the team's vital role during tough times. The conversation turns to the ethical implications of wealthy owners profiting from taxpayer dollars, reflecting on the precarious balance between sports and local government interests.

27:05

Episode guests

Jerry Zaremsky

Andrew Zimbalist

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Intro

2min

Buffalo Bills: A Community’s Lifeline

6min

Examining Public Funding for Stadiums in New York

2min

Political Ties and Stadium Funding Controversies

2min

The Burden of Publicly Funded Stadiums

13min

The Buffalo Bills are set to receive a record-breaking $850 million in public funds to build a new stadium — even though they’re owned by a fracking billionaire. An economist explains whether publicly funded stadiums ever work out in the public’s favor.

This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh, engineered by Paul Mounsey, fact-checked by Laura Bullard and Matt Collette, and edited by Sean Rameswaram, who also hosted.

Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained

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