Rep. Casar and Sen. Sanders Introduce Home Team Act to Give Fans and Cities First Right to Buy Sports Teams

Small business owners in communities that could lose their local sports franchise would benefit from team stability. Restaurants, bars, hotels, and shops near stadiums depend heavily on game-day traffic, and losing a team can devastate local economies. The bill also gives local private business owners and consortiums third-priority rights to buy a team if the community or nonprofits cannot.

The bill explicitly protects collective bargaining rights, ensuring nothing in the law can be used to weaken existing labor agreements. Union workers at stadiums and in related industries could benefit from franchise stability, which preserves jobs tied to game-day operations.

The bill's findings acknowledge that building a new stadium to attract a relocated team can displace local residents. By making it harder for teams to relocate, the bill could reduce the frequency of stadium construction projects in new cities that push renters out of their neighborhoods.

Homeowners in communities with professional sports teams could see property values stabilized by preventing sudden franchise departures. When a major team leaves, the surrounding area often experiences economic decline that can lower home values. The bill's mechanisms to keep teams in place could protect against that risk.