Organisers of the The Aer Lingus College Football Classic have published an economic impact report showing that last year’s meeting in Dublin of Notre Dame and Navy generated a significant €180 million boost for the Irish economy.
The €180 million economic impact, disclosed in the newly published Post-Game Economic Impact Report by Grant Thornton, underscores the significance of supporting and leveraging international sporting events to enhance Irish tourism, bolster the local economy, and foster business links.
The event featured as one of the keynote discussions at the recent Sport for Business sports Tourism Conference at the University of Limerick.
The historic sold-out game in August 2023 at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, the second of a five-game series, attracted over 49,000 attendees, with 39,702 from the US, 1,063 visitors from other parts of the world, and over 8,000 from Ireland.
The event marked one of the highest revenue-generating sporting events ever held in Ireland and witnessed the largest-ever single movement of U.S. citizens outside of the U.S. for an individual sporting event.
Grant Thornton’s methodology for assessing the economic impact of the Aer Lingus College Football Classic 2023 examined the impact on two levels: the contribution to Dublin’s economy, including all attendees, and the broader effect on the Irish economy of international visitors – primarily from North America – attending the game.
Their analysis incorporated key factors such as travel package values, accommodation expenses for non-package travellers, and daily spending based on average transactions taken from MasterCard transaction data.
It is as detailed and genuine a picture of the real value of the event as you could hope for and gives full justification for the support that has come for the series from private and public sources of funding.
The event also hosted the prestigious Ireland US CEO Club, where over 450 CEOs from leading companies on both sides of the Atlantic convened. They gathered for an event in the Round Room of the Mansion House in Dublin, featuring a panel discussion facilitated by Jack Brennan, Chair of the Board of Trustees at Notre Dame, and featuring a keynote address from Former president of Ireland Mary McAleese.
Additionally, the game broadcast on NBC in the US, with average viewing figures of 3.8 million, and on Sky Sports in Ireland and the UK, as well as across numerous podcasts, radio and video shows providing a significant branding boost for Ireland on the global stage, attracting attention from prospective tourists and enhancing the visibility of Ireland as a premier destination for sports enthusiasts.
The figure does not include the value of 3.8 million US TV viewers tuning into the live broadcast of the game as well as all the additional tourism promotion that goes around such a large event.
Neither does it make any claim on additional revenue that might be generated from repeat visitors.
“The Aer Lingus College Football Classic is a prime example of how strategic events align with government policy and Fáilte Ireland’s vision for destination development,” said Minister for Tourism Catherine Martin.
“With an economic impact of €180 million for last year’s exceptional event, initiatives of this scale not only bolster local economies but also spread business opportunities throughout the country.”
“It provides visitors with an opportunity to visit our beautiful country and gives locals the opportunity to experience American college football being played at a very high level,” added Minister of State for Sport Thomas Byrne.
“It also provides a valuable opportunity for sports here to exchange knowledge and information with high level American football teams. This report reflects both the success of the 2023 event and highlights Dublin’s suitability as a host city for American Football, from both an Irish economic and sporting perspective.”
“As the National Tourism Development Authority, Fáilte Ireland quickly recognised the tourism potential of the Aer Lingus College Football Classic to attract large numbers of visitors from the USA, and we are pleased to help bring this major US sporting event to Ireland,” said Paul Kelly, CEO of Fáilte Ireland.
“I would like to pay tribute to the vision of Martin and Carmel Naughton and family for initiating and championing this great Irish American connection, which now drives significant economic benefit for Ireland, not only through tourism but also through wider business and academic channels.”
“We look forward to working closely with event sponsors including Aer Lingus and Grant Thornton, and Irish American Events LTD, and we hope to make this series a permanent fixture in the US College Football and Irish tourism calendars.”
“Hosting the Aer Lingus College Football Classic 2023 in Dublin has proven to be a significant economic success for our city,” said Richard Shakespeare, Chief Executive of Dublin County Council.
“The event highlights Dublin’s proven capacity and ability to attract and host major international events, showcasing our city as a premier destination for sports, tourism, and business.”
“We are the proud title sponsor of the Aer Lingus College Football Classic, so I am really pleased that it continues to have such a positive impact on the Irish economy,” said Lynne Embleton, Aer Lingus CEO.
“It draws throngs of American fans to Ireland, boosting tourism and strengthening our connection with college football fans across the USA. The announcement of the 2025 teams fuels the momentum, and we eagerly await welcoming those fans to Dublin.”
“With the strong interest from other top-tier College Football teams and the resulting confirmation of the 2025 game between Kansas State University and Iowa State University, The Aer Lingus College Football Classic series has truly solidified Dublin, and Ireland, as the global location of choice for the opening game of the College Football Season on an annual basis into the future,” concluded Padraic O’Kane, CEO of Irish American Events.
“It is a credit to the Aer Lingus College Football Classic stakeholders that they have transformed the ambition of Ireland hosting a major international sporting and tourism event series into a successful reality.”
The upcoming 2024 Aer Lingus College Football Classic, the third in the five-game series, will see Georgia Tech face off against Florida State University in the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Saturday, 24th August 2024. Building on the momentum of last year’s game, this game is already 94% sold out with in excess of 21,000 of those tickets snapped up by US-based fans alone, highlighting the enduring appeal of American college football on an international Irish stage.
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