The WM Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale is the most-attended golf tournament in the world with more than 700,000 fans.getty images
No. 10: Phoenix
Score: 50.0
Rising from the desert, Phoenix has become one of the top sports markets in the Western U.S., bested in our analysis only by Los Angeles and Las Vegas. If you’re looking to make as many in-person calls in a day as you can, Phoenix is surprisingly accessible — there are 14 professional sports venues in Phoenix within an hour’s drive, a higher concentration than any city in the world. Phoenix also did very well with executives we interviewed, several of whom mentioned that it’s a great place to play a round of golf between those sales calls.
Sports properties (26): In January, Phoenix played host on the same weekend to both the Super Bowl and the PGA Tour WM Phoenix Open, which is annually the most-attended golf tournament in the world with more than 700,000 fans. Permanent events include the Fiesta and Guaranteed Rate bowls, the NASCAR United Rentals Work United 500 and the ATP Arizona Tennis Classic. The city also won bids on several upcoming NCAA championships — the 2023 Division I men’s and women’s golf championships; men’s (2024) and women’s (2026) basketball Division I Final Four; 2026 Division II men’s and women’s tennis championships; and 2026 National Collegiate women’s gymnastics regionals.
Sponsor footprint (28): Area companies Gila River Casinos, Talking Stick Resort and Desert Financial Credit Union all support the local teams with a venue naming-rights deal. Scotts Miracle-Gro has been an MLB sponsor since 2010; Pit Boss has sponsored NASCAR since 2018; and Sprouts Farmers Market sponsors the Pac-12 and Big 12. The market is also the headquarters of USA Pickleball, tennis equipment manufacturer Head and golf company Ping.
Facilities: Since 2013, more than $3.5 billion in construction has been completed or is underway, including Bell Bank Park in Mesa, Ariz., one of the biggest (320 acres) and the most expensive ($280 million) multisport developments ever constructed. The state over the past two years created a Major Events Fund to attract top events to the desert, as well as a Special Sporting Events Fund earmarked to do the same for major auto racing events.
Economics: Phoenix’s room tax is 12.57%. Only San Diego and Orlando (both 12.5%) and Grand Rapids, Mich. (11%), have a lower charge, among our top 50 markets.
What they’re saying: “A high-growth market with major events in every sport, a wide array of fans from all over the country, and according to a Netflix doc, the best pizza in America [Pizzeria Bianco]!” — D.B.
