Why New York City Is a Global Sports Capital Primed for Events

 

Interviewed by a local news station ahead of his first match at the 2024 US Open Tennis Championships this August, defending champion Novak Djokovic praised the host venue, the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, NY.

“The night sessions are the most famous in the sport,” said the Serbian star, whose bid for his record-setting 25th Grand Slam singles title ended in the third round. “The noise, the energy of the stadium is different from anything else…it’s the biggest tennis court in the world.”

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The Center is among the world’s largest public tennis facilities. The star attraction, the 23,000-capacity, retractable roof Arthur Ashe Stadium, accommodates 6,900 more guests than second-placed Indian Wells in California. Flexible rentals include the 14,000-seat Louis Armstrong stadium, 8,000-seat Grandstand and boardroom space.

Expected to attract a million-plus fans, the US Open underscores NYC’s standing as a global sports stage. With the hosting assets and expertise to match, it’s game on for group tours, outings and events—and opportunities to give back.

Winning Records

NYC has the most professional teams (12) in North America, and along with Los Angeles is the only city with multiple teams in all four major leagues. Winning is a dynastic tradition. Led by the New York Yankees with 27 World Series titles, New York teams have won 56 professional crowns, 16 more than second-place Boston.

Their home facilities create a phenomenal atmosphere for events. Yankee Stadium in The Bronx offers more than 60,000 square feet of space. Home of the two-time World Champion New York Mets, Citi Field in Queens offers 400,000 square feet of space for all types of non-baseball events.

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Since 1879, Madison Square Garden has been synonymous with big time sports and entertainment in New York City. Opened in 1968, the venue’s fourth incarnation is home of the NHL’s New York Rangers (four-time Stanley Cup winners) and two-time NBA champions the New York Knicks. “The World’s Most Famous Arena” flexibly hosts up to 19,500-capacity events. Spaces include the adjoining 5,570-capacity Theater at MSG. 

The NBA’s Brooklyn Nets and WNBA’s New York Liberty play at the 17,723-capacity Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Since opening in 2012, the cutting-edge multipurpose venue has hosted more than 17 million people at 16,000-plus major events. Bordering Queens in Nassau County, UBS Arena, home of four-time consecutive (1980-1983) NHL champ New York Islanders, hosts up to 18,000-capacity events.

Setting Lofty Goals

The eyes of the world will be on the region in 2026 when the largest-ever edition of the FIFA Men’s World Cup, expanded to 48 teams and 104 matches, comes to MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, just outside of NYC.

Home of the Super Bowl III champion New York Jets and eight-time NFL kings the New York Giants, the 82,500-capacity stadium hosts numerous specialized private events. 

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The win, recognizing joint bidders “New York/New Jersey” as the host city, includes five opening and two knockout round matches, and the final. New York City’s status as a global city of culture was instrumental in securing the bid, as the NYC metropolitan area is the cradle of soccer in America, dating to the American Football Association in 1884. 

Today, New York has two Major League Soccer (MLS) teams, the New York Red Bulls, who play at the 25,000-capacity Red Bull Arena in New Jersey, and New York City Football Club, or NYCFC, winners of the MLS Cup in 2021. NJ/NY Gotham FC of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) also play at Red Bull Arena. In 2023, former U.S. women’s national soccer team star Ali Krieger captained the team to its first NWSL Championship before retiring.

Currently playing home matches at Yankee Stadium, Citi Field and Red Bull Arena, NYCFC is building NYC’s first soccer-specific stadium across from Citi Field. Part of a mixed-use redevelopment project, the 25,000-seat venue is targeting 2027. 

Connect

New York City Tourism + Conventions 

Q&A: Richard Sexton, MBE, Founder and CEO, Captain’s Knock

In 2001, London-born Richard Sexton relocated to NYC to run the U.S. office of a leading British real estate firm. In 2008, the former rugby player and track athlete founded Captain’s Knock (www.captainsknock.com), a NYC-based agency that brings business leaders and sports legends together for networking events in support of British and Commonwealth charities. 

Awarded an MBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) by Queen Elizabeth II for his fundraising services, Sexton recently co-founded Your Event People, an events management business for corporations, brands and nonprofits.

Speaking with Senior Contributor Jeff Heilman, who grew up playing rugby and football in England, Sexton shares his playbook for creating unique high-impact events for worthy causes.

Jeff Heilman: What does Captain’s Knock mean and how did it come about?

Richard Sexton: I saw a gap in the U.S. market for traditional U.K. cause-driven events with retired legends of the game. Referencing the sound of the bat hitting the ball in cricket, “Captain’s Knock” stands for any sports captain leading his team to victory. Our business audience, similarly, are leaders in their fields. 

By design, these highly entertaining affairs have specific programming elements. We give attendees the space to circulate and network. We choose the emcee and the legends for their storytelling skills, which generates great comedic energy in the room. A single charity gets dedicated time to present their message. Fundraising vehicles include raffles, pledge drives and auctions for “money can’t buy” experiences like dinner or golf with the legends themselves. Finishing with an after-party at a local pub, we maximize attention, engagement and giving through focus, simplicity and fun.

[Related: 7 Crowd-Flow Tips From a Sports Venue Veteran]

Which sports legends do you typically recruit?

The Captain’s Knock brand principally draws from rugby, cricket and soccer, along with Olympic and World champions in track and field, rowing and boxing as keynote speakers. To date, we have hosted 11,000-plus guests and raised more than $2 million for charities related to concerns, including the Great Ormond Street Hospital For Children in London and Play Rugby USA, a national sports-based youth development organization that originated as a rugby program for homeless youth in Brooklyn.

Your Event People, which I co-founded with veteran event planner Anna Titley, is a full-service event management firm and licensed fundraiser for organizations at large. Key partners include St. George’s Society of New York (SGSNY), which was founded in 1770 to provide as-needed assistance to people of British and Commonwealth heritage in NYC. 

Anna, as former SGSNY executive director, and I, as past president, bring our experience to bear for SGSNY charitable events. This December, we honor Andrew Ridgeley, formerly of WHAM! with George Michael, with the Anglo-American Cultural Award at our annual British Bash fundraiser.

Why is NYC so well suited for memorable sports and other cause-driven events?

Offering unmatched vibrancy and venue variety, work-hard, play-hard NYC’s built-in international business community and strong spirit of giving favor the competitive world of philanthropy. American attendees get great exposure to U.K. sports culture at our events and global competitions like the 2026 FIFA World Cup. We plan to take Captain’s Knock Rugby Legends dinners on the road when the U.S. hosts the 2031 Men’s and 2033 Women’s Rugby World Cups. Everybody wins at NYC events.