Sports can become a greater economic engine for Long Beach, mayor says

Sports has the potential to become a greater economic engine for Long Beach — whether it’s the Olympics, professional baseball or women’s hockey.

That’s according to Mayor Rex Richardson, who spoke to the local business community last week and discussed the role the sports industry plays locally for jobs, tourism, hospitality, media and event opportunities.

The mayor’s presentation came during the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce’s third annual “State of Business” event on Friday, Dec. 5, at the Hyatt Regency Long Beach. Richardson and various panelists in the city’s sports and business communities discussed expanding the role of athletics in Long Beach and the regional economy.

Sports are central to Long Beach’s identity. Youth programs and college athletics have made their mark for decades: Wilson High School, for example, has sent an athlete to every Olympics since 1950, and most recently, Cal State Long Beach’s men’s volleyball team won the national championship.

Long Beach has regularly been the birthplace of world-class athletes, such as Billie Jean King, Tony Hill and Glenn McDonald. And soon, the city will get global attention — thanks to the 2028 Olympic Games.

During the panel, industry leaders spoke about the future of sports in Long Beach – its economic impact, new opportunities, and the business activity generated by athletics, events and tourism.

Paul Freedman of Innovation Baseball Partners participates in a panel...

Paul Freedman of Innovation Baseball Partners participates in a panel discussion during the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce’s 3rd Annual “State of Business” in Long Beach on Friday, December 5, 2025. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

LBS Financial CMO Heather Summers speaks during the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce’s 3rd Annual “State of Business” in Long Beach on Friday, December 5, 2025. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

CSULB Men’s Basketball Head Coach Chris Acker participates in a panel discussion during the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce’s 3rd Annual “State of Business” in Long Beach on Friday, December 5, 2025. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

CSULB Executive Director of Athletics Bobby Smitheran speaks during the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce’s 3rd Annual “State of Business” in Long Beach on Friday, December 5, 2025. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

Mayor Rex Richardson speaks during the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce’s 3rd Annual “State of Business” in Long Beach on Friday, December 5, 2025. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Jeremy Harris speaks during the 3rd Annual “State of Business” in Long Beach on Friday, December 5, 2025. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

From right, Watch Me! Sports Bar owner Jax Diener and CSULB Men’s Basketball Head Coach Chris Acker participate in a panel discussion during the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce’s 3rd Annual “State of Business” in Long Beach on Friday, December 5, 2025. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

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The total annual economic contribution of the sports industry in the Los Angeles basin is about $11.7 billion and more than 83,000 jobs, according to a report prepared by the Institute of Applied Economics of the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation for the Los Angeles Sports Council.

The report also mentions the regional and national interest in collegiate sports, listing Cal State Long Beach as part of the NCAA Division I Schools in the LA region. It also cites the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, which celebrated its 50th anniversary this year, as a traditional one-off event that attracts a diverse range of spectators and tourists — driving millions of dollars in economic impact.

“We have the chance to build a sports economy that reflects who we are and who we aspire to be,” Richardson said during the presentation. “Sports drive real economic activity – hospitality, tourism, media and content, licensing and sponsorship opportunities, real estate development, small business growth – and the scale of this opportunity is enormous.”

The mayor, for example, suggested that Long Beach could step up and make women’s sports part of the broader economic profile for the city. Jax Diener, founder and owner of Watch Me! Sports Bar, shared that she has been trying to bring more women’s pro sports to Long Beach.

Diener said she has been talking to the Professional Women’s Hockey League – for which Billie Jean King is part of the ownership – to bring a team to Long Beach. The city, she said, has a “huge opportunity” with professional women’s softball and baseball as well.

“I think there’s huge opportunity to get Long Beach on the map in a completely different way, and in another way where we can help support women’s professional sports,” Diener said. “We also have rugby that’s growing, volleyball and tons of opportunities across the landscape, and as a small business owner, we rely on all of these events that are coming into town.”

Long Beach is also taking steps to broaden its sports economy.

The City Council, during its Tuesday, Dec. 9, meeting, approved an updated agreement with CSULB that creates a foundation for future investment, expanded public benefits, and new opportunities to elevate Long Beach’s presence in collegiate and professional baseball at Blair Field. Blair Field is the home of the Long Beach State Dirtbags — and the future home of the region’s newest Pioneer League baseball team.

The effort to bring professional baseball back to Long Beach began this summer, with the goal to begin playing in the 2026 season. The community has already participated in helping name the new team. Tryouts took place last week at St. Anthony High School’s Athletic Complex as the Long Beach Baseball Club begins assembling its inaugural roster in the Pioneer Baseball League.

“Long Beach is a major league market,” said Paul Freedman, founding partner of Innovation Baseball Partners, which owns the city’s new ball club. “The ability to put a minor league team … in a major league market, where you can get the attention of the world when you do things, is a tremendously exciting opportunity. It’s an exciting opportunity for businesses that are looking to bring people into a city.”

More opportunities for the business community will come when the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games arrive, Richardson said. More than 2 million people are anticipated to visit Long Beach during the Olympics — generating billions of dollars of economic impact in the region.

Long Beach will be the second-largest venue city for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games outside of the host city. Long Beach will host 18 different sports and 161 ticketed competitions, with activations taking place all across the city, Richardson said.

“This is the biggest, most ambitious event in the world, the largest peacetime gathering,” said John Harper, chief opterating officers for LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

There will be several opportunities for cities and businesses during the Games. More than $15 million in tickets will be sold and 15,000 athletes from more than 200 countries will participate in 30 days of competition, with 60 days of pure business operations and more than 3,000 hours of live television as well, Harper added.

“We have a lot of partners, and so we are working together with all of them in sprint mode,” Harper said. “Long Beach has been ready since we started this planning.”

This summer, the LA28 team launched its impact and sustainability plan, which focuses on driving shared economic development across the region.

LA28 aims to do this through four strategic objectives: teaming up with public and private organizations to prepare small and local businesses for direct and indirect contracts and other revenue opportunities associated with the Games; creating opportunities for small and local businesses to participate in planning for and executing the Games; collaborating on skill-building opportunities for community members through professional development programs and local partnerships; and promoting hiring, retention and training efforts around a local workforce while advocating for community-based hiring in the sports and live events industries.

“The Long Beach community,” Richardson said, “will do everything it can to make sure that these are the most successful Olympic Games in history.”

Sports can become a greater economic engine for Long Beach, mayor says – Press Telegram

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