A winning baseball team is good for the economy, as Metro Milwaukee businesses will benefit from an estimated $7 million in direct spending from two Brewers playoff games this weekend, according to a report in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
The Brewers face the San Diego Padres in a best-of-five divisional round series this weekend, with Game 1 set for Saturday evening and Game 2 scheduled for Sunday afternoon at American Family Field.
Each game will add a projected $3.6 million in direct spending, which does not include money spent at the ballpark but does include spending at hotels, restaurants and other area businesses, according to Visit Milwaukee.
The economic impact figure rises to $5.1 million for each game when factoring in the multiplier effect, which takes into account the re-spending of those dollars by vendors, supplies and households.
The Brewers, who had the most successful regular season in team history with 103 wins, had the best record in Major League Baseball and have the home field advantage throughout the National League Playoffs.
In the series against San Diego, the Brewers could host as many as three games.
If they advance to the National League Championship Series, they could host as many as four games.
The American League Champion would have the home field advantage in the World Series by virtue of the American League’s 4-0 victory in the 2026 All-Star Game, but the National League Champion could host as many as three games.
“We expect a beautiful October,” said Josh Albrecht, Visit Milwaukee’s chief marketing officer.
