How Much Does The Mercedes-Benz Stadium Cost?

Published on October 29, 2025 | Prices Last Reviewed for Freshness: November 2025
Written by Alec Pow - Economic & Pricing Investigator | Content Reviewed by CFA Alexander Popinker

Educational content; not financial advice. Prices are estimates; confirm current rates, fees, taxes, and terms with providers or official sources.

Mercedes-Benz Stadium is Atlanta’s 71,000 seat, retractable roof venue used by the NFL’s Falcons and MLS’s Atlanta United, plus marquee events like the SEC Championship, College Football Playoff, Super Bowl LIII and the 2026 World Cup. People ask how much it costs because the budget mixed private money with public hotel motel taxes, and totals vary by what is counted. This guide organizes reported figures in US dollars and explains why sources list different amounts.

The sections below move from the initial price to long term costs, with links to city, state authority, and industry documents from the Georgia World Congress Center Authority, which oversees the site for the state.

Article Highlights

• Headline construction cost is about $1.6B, up from early targets near $1.0–$1.4B, after almost $200M in documented change orders.
• Public share included $200M in hotel motel tax backed bonds and a dedicated Operations and Maintenance pipeline funded by the same hotel motel tax.
• Private funding stacked PSL revenue of about $233–$273M, more than $900M in sponsorships, NFL G-4 loans, team equity, and naming rights around $12M per year for 27 years.
• Design premiums like the retractable roof and the full circle halo board, plus high spec club and suite inventory, pushed the project into “icon” territory rather than pure lowest cost construction.
• Peer NFL venues landed between $1.061B and $1.97B in the same decade, with SoFi Stadium as a $5–6B outlier driven by private development scale in Los Angeles.

How Much Does The Mercedes-Benz Stadium Cost?

The most cited project figure is $1.6 billion to build. That number was repeatedly reported during the 2016 to 2017 opening window and reflects the core construction plus some soft costs. Earlier budgets were quoted at $1.0–$1.4 billion before design and change order escalation. Reporting on change orders by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution said almost $200 million in additions pushed the project toward that $1.6 billion “sticker,” which as of October 2025 is still the accepted shorthand.

Totals shift depending on what is included, for example technology, art, demolition of the Georgia Dome, and nearby infrastructure. Peer venues built in the same era ranged from $1.06 billion for U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis to $1.97 billion for Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, with SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles a far higher outlier at $5–6 billion. So even within “NFL stadium,” cost can jump several billion dollars depending on market, roof type, and premium inventory strategy.

Real-Life Cost Examples

Example A, core build only. The core build is the structure, roof, steel, mechanical systems, bowl, video, and sitework covered by the main contracts. By late 2016, documented change orders alone added almost $200 million, which moved the project from the early $1.0–$1.4 billion talk toward the familiar $1.6 billion figure. The rotating-retractable roof, custom facade materials, and one-off video system all played a role in that escalation.

Also read our articles on the cost of the Buffalo Bills’ new stadium, renting a stadium, or a Dodger Stadium wedding.

Example B, build plus public contributions and finance. The Atlanta City Council approved hotel motel tax backed bonds for $200 million, with that same hotel motel tax also earmarked to feed an Operations and Maintenance Agreement over time. Some analyses add those pledged future O&M funds and the public debt service and argue that the public’s lifetime support runs into the hundreds of millions. That is why you will sometimes see much higher “total cost to taxpayers” numbers than the simple $1.6 billion hard cost headline.

Cost Breakdown

Hard costs. The stadium’s hard costs include the main steel frame, the complex eight panel retractable roof, the ETFE facade, poured concrete, bowl seating, and field and mechanical systems. One major premium item is the 360 degree “halo” board above the field. The team called it the first ever full circle overhead display in pro sports on Mercedes-Benz Stadium’s own announcement, and broadcast trade press described the halo and the massive “mega column” boards as centerpiece video systems for the College Football Playoff title game on Sports Video Group. The halo display is roughly 58 feet tall and more than 1,000 linear feet around, and building it was not cheap.

Soft costs. Soft costs cover architecture and engineering firms like HOK, Buro Happold, and WSP, plus project management, permits, insurance, owner’s reps, and the stadium’s art program. That is also where you see demolition of the Georgia Dome bundled in some totals, or you see surrounding road work and utility relocation counted or not counted. The jump from early budgets to about $1.6 billion reflects design complexity and change order risk rather than a single smoking gun line item.

Factors Influencing the Cost

The retractable roof concept is one of the biggest drivers. Mercedes-Benz Stadium’s roof is not a simple sliding lid. It is a multi panel, camera lens style system that had to align, seal, and retract on command, in a building that also integrates a full circle halo board and a giant west facade window. That level of custom engineering means more steel tonnage, more unique fabrication, more commissioning, and more risk during final testing.

Schedule also matters. The building had to be online for NFL and college football calendars, MLS, and bidding for future events like the Super Bowl. When a project is date certain like that, trades may have to stack and work overtime, which raises cost. Market conditions in 2014 through 2017 were already pushing construction wages and material prices in large metro areas upward. Capacity targets play a role as well. The building was designed for about 71,000 seats plus roughly 180 to 190 suites and about 7,500 club seats, which means more premium finishes, more kitchens, more private lounges, and high spec back of house systems to service them at scale.

Public vs Private Funding

The city’s headline public contribution was $200 million in bonds backed by the hotel motel tax. That approach, which survived a legal challenge and validation process described in AJC coverage of the financing fight, was paired with an Operations and Maintenance Agreement filed by the GWCCA. That agreement directs certain future surpluses from the same hotel motel tax to stadium operations, maintenance, and capital renewal over time. In simple terms, Atlanta pledged not just upfront cash, but also an ongoing revenue stream tied to tourism taxes.

Private dollars filled most of the rest. Personal Seat License sales reached roughly $233–$273 million by 2017 to 2019. Contractually obligated sponsorships surpassed $900 million before opening. Sports Business Journal and PolitiFact both reported that naming rights were widely estimated around $12 million per year on a 27 year agreement. Add in NFL G-4 loan dollars and team equity and you get the full private stack.

Alternatives

Before the new build, local leaders debated renovating the Georgia Dome instead of starting over. PolitiFact reported in 2013 that a major Dome rehab was estimated around $393 million for expanded space and a new roof. Supporters of a new stadium argued that a renovation would not deliver long term recruiting power for events like the College Football Playoff, Super Bowl, World Cup matches, and major concerts, and it would not include the camera lens style retractable roof and tech platform that the Falcons and the city wanted.

A simpler fixed roof stadium usually costs less to build and maintain, but it reduces flexibility for weather sensitive events and for FIFA specs. Regional alternatives outside downtown Atlanta would have required new transit and highway access and would have pushed hotel spending and convention spillover away from the core, which city and state tourism boosters wanted to avoid.

Ways to Spend Less

On the build side, classic value engineering targets the roof mechanics, facade materials, and integrated AV. A fixed roof instead of a complex retractable system cuts fabrication cost and lowers commissioning risk. Scaling down the halo video board and the “mega column” boards, or phasing in some club and kitchen finishes instead of delivering them all at day one spec, can also trim the early bill. Teams that opt for a design build or CM at risk delivery model try to keep change order exposure down by locking details earlier with the contractors.

On the operations side, the stadium made national news for its “fan first” food prices. Yahoo Finance covered the $2 hot dogs and $5 beer, and the team later said that lower per item cost boosted volume, kept guests inside the building, and drove per caps once the system was tuned. The building also announced a stadium wide cashless model within its first year, describing reduced wait times and smoother accounting on its own site.

Expert Insights & Tips

Municipal finance analysts focus on who really pays long term. The Atlanta model concentrates risk in tourism taxes and documents how surplus hotel motel tax dollars can be steered back into stadium upkeep. That structure is spelled out in the Hotel Motel Tax Funding Agreement filed with the GWCCA. In plain English, every full hotel in downtown Atlanta helps fund both the debt and the building’s long haul maintenance pool.

Sports economists point to a different lever: guaranteed sponsorships and inventory. Sports Business Journal reported in 2016 that Mercedes-Benz Stadium had already locked in more than $900 million in contractually obligated sponsorship revenue before opening. That volume of multi year deals and premium naming inventory helps stabilize cash flow in ways a simple ticket model never could.

Total Cost of Ownership

Total cost of ownership spans way past ribbon cutting. Annual and multi year spending covers maintenance, security, utilities, turf cycles, Wi-Fi and DAS upgrades, hospitality build outs, and capital reserves. The Operations and Maintenance Agreement mentioned above allows certain hotel motel tax surpluses to offset a portion of these costs, subject to bond rules and revenue performance. The state authority summarized these structures in its 2023 Annual Report.

Board presentations filed with the authority, such as the January 30, 2024 update, list continuing capital like DAS and Wi-Fi improvements, field level terraces, loft style hospitality, and other premium upgrades. Those recurring projects keep bid packages for events attractive and protect sponsorship value. None of that is included in the original $1.6 billion build headline even though it is required to keep the building competitive in year 7, year 10, and beyond.

Hidden & Unexpected Costs

Large venues carry integration risk. When IT, broadcast, scoreboard control, lighting, HVAC, life safety, and the retractable roof all talk to each other, a delay in one system can jam the schedule for everyone. That is where late change orders and overnight labor spikes live, and that is one reason the final delivery window before opening was so expensive.

Another quiet line item is placemaking and art. Artnet News profiled the stadium’s art program, which includes large scale commissioned works across the concourses. That level of public art and branding costs money on top of raw steel and concrete, and teams now treat it as part of the fan experience that can justify premium seating and sponsorship rates.

Warranty, Support & Insurance Costs

Warranty structure for a venue this size usually includes builder warranties for structural and architectural elements, OEM warranties for the retractable roof hardware and massive LED systems, and service contracts for the halo board and ribbon boards. During construction, builders risk insurance covers the work in place. After opening, the operator carries liability, business interruption, and property coverage. Board level reporting from the GWCCA and the Falcons shows that these items are ongoing obligations, not one time expenses, and they sit in annual operating budgets rather than vanishing after year one.

Financing & Payment Options

The Mercedes-Benz Stadium capital stack combined team equity, PSL cash flows, NFL G-4 loans, sponsorships, naming rights, and the $200 million in hotel motel tax backed bonds. Sports Business Journal’s facilities coverage outlined how NFL G-4 loans and stadium naming rights help bridge stadium finance gaps without forcing cities to take on the entire bill at once.

A representative funding snapshot based on reported numbers looks like this: $200 million in tax backed public bonds, roughly $200 million in NFL G-4 money, about $233–$273 million in PSL revenue, more than $900 million in sponsorship commitments, and naming rights widely estimated near $12 million per year on a 27 year agreement. Team equity and private debt round out the rest. The pieces do not all arrive at once, which is why some outlets talk about total “project cost,” while others talk about “public exposure,” and others talk about “lifetime building revenue.”

Resale Value & Depreciation

Stadiums depreciate on long time scales for accounting, but practical value depends on leases, event calendars, sponsorship renewals, and premium inventory. The GWCCA board presentations highlight repeat capital projects like Wi-Fi and DAS upgrades, field level clubs, and suite refreshes because these keep the asset attractive to event bidders and corporate buyers. Strong naming rights terms also matter. Mercedes-Benz USA’s naming rights announcement described a long term deal, widely reported as 27 years, that helps underwrite long horizon improvements instead of chasing short term cash.

Opportunity Cost & ROI

Public return on investment is usually framed as hotel nights, visitor spending, brand halo, and convention pull. Atlanta’s strategy leaned into a downtown location on MARTA, walkable to Centennial Olympic Park and the convention district, so that high profile events would stack hotel demand and restaurant traffic in city limits instead of pushing it to the suburbs.

Private return lives in suites, club seats, PSLs, sponsorships, naming rights, and broadcast value. The affordable concessions model covered by Yahoo Finance, the early $900 million plus sponsorship haul, and the constant push for Super Bowls, College Football Playoff games, SEC Championships, MLS titles, and FIFA selection all feed that private ROI story. Mercedes-Benz Stadium’s event history on Wikipedia shows how quickly the building landed marquee events once it opened in late 2017, which validates some of those upfront design premiums.

Seasonal & Market-Timing Factors

Material and labor timing drives final dollar amounts. Minneapolis locked a fixed roof design at about $1.061 billion for U.S. Bank Stadium in 2016, in a labor and steel environment that now looks favorable compared with today’s inflation. Axios later noted that newer stadiums were already trending higher even before pandemic era supply chain shocks.

Event bids also influence timing. Atlanta pushed for a 2017 opening, then hosted Super Bowl LIII in 2019, locked in College Football Playoff games, and lined up 2026 World Cup matches. Stadiums that deliver on that timeline argue that the premium roof, board package, and club inventory are not nice to have upgrades. They are bid tools that drive future cash and civic profile.

Comparison Table

The table below places Mercedes-Benz Stadium next to peer NFL venues from roughly the same era, along with headline public shares reported by stadium authorities and local outlets. Dollar amounts are rounded headline figures widely cited at opening.

Answers to Common Questions

What is the commonly cited total to build?

The widely reported headline is $1.6 billion as of the 2016 to 2017 opening period. That figure rolled in core construction plus significant change orders and soft costs.

How was funding divided between public and private sources?

Public bonds of $200 million were backed by the city’s hotel motel tax. Private money came from team equity, NFL G-4 loans, Personal Seat Licenses that generated roughly $233–$273 million, sponsorship deals above $900 million, and naming rights estimated near $12 million per year on a 27 year agreement.

Why do different sources list different totals?

Some sources count only core construction. Others add demolition of the Georgia Dome, infrastructure changes, art, technology like the halo video board, and even decades of Operations and Maintenance support funded by hotel motel tax surpluses. The more categories you include, the higher the “total cost.”

What are typical annual operating or upgrade costs?

Authority board reports and O&M documents show continuing spending on turf changes, DAS and Wi-Fi upgrades, hospitality build outs, capital reserves, and repairs. Those expenses recur each year and sit on top of the headline build cost.

Which features most affected the budget?

The retractable roof and the 360 degree halo board were major cost drivers. Both required one-off engineering, specialized fabrication, and complex commissioning under a tight event deadline.