Behind the growing presence of large clubs and sporting events in Brasilia is a millionaire gear that moves the city and goes far beyond the field. With robust figures behind the Rolando ball, the federal capital stands not only as a sports scene, but as a true business hub linked to football.
This is moved by companies that have former senator Luiz Estevão ahead. Entrepreneurs and investor groups, such as the Metropolis News Portal, owned by Estevão, even pay up to R $ 2 million per game for clubs to transfer their matches to Brasilia, the report found. The amount is paid in advance to the home team, which covers travels, hosts and also guarantees immediate profit.
On the other hand, prosecutors bet on the box office and sponsorship and image rights to profit high. In the last Sunday duel between Vasco and Palmeiras, for example, there were almost $ 3 million income with tickets. In 2024, this same confrontation attracted more than 64 thousand fans, with a collection that went from $ 7 million, indicates the report of the report.
In addition to the box office, the “owner of the game” also invoices the event’s full operation: explores the stadium bars and restaurants, sells corporate box tickets and negotiates specific sponsors for each match.
In addition, major regional and national brands are associated with events through specific activations, field signs, VIP experiences and promotional actions, which significantly increases the revenue obtained with each game played in the Federal District.
Spinning the economy of Brasilia
This movement not only monetizes clubs and organizers, but also directly impacts the economy of the federal capital. The tourism and hospitality production chain responds quickly: hotel occupation jumped from 59.4% in 2019 to 65.7% in 2023, according to the Brazilian Hotel Industry Association of the Federal District (ABIH-DF).
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It is estimated that more than R $ 35 million were raised with ISS in the hotel sector in 2024, compared to R $ 7 million in 2018.
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The constant movement of fans, press and technical teams have made Mané Garrincha Stadium a regular tourist spot. In addition to club games such as Sao Paulo, Corinthians, Internacional, Palmeiras and Flamengo, the stadium received the Brazilian team in the World Cup qualifiers and may again be the scene of international decisions – Brasilia became a finalist to host the 2025 Libertadores final, losing to Lima, Peru.
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“Brasilia has always been strategic. When we look at sporting events, we see more than a game: we see a big deal. It’s a city with privileged logistics, good hotel structure, safety, nearby airport and, especially, with the ability to absorb large audiences. This all added to private investment makes Mané Garrincha an important asset in the national calendar,” says Marcelo Dantas, a sports management consultant.
The city, which had already stood out as one of the 2014 World Cup headquarters and the 2016 Olympics, was also the Conmebol Seguro Port in one of the most critical moments of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021, when she housed Copa America games after Argentina and Colombia’s withdrawal. Since then, he has maintained the protagonism as the headquarters of weight matches of Libertadores, Recopa, Brazil Cup and Brasileirão.
Brands take advantage of the moment
With the growing demand, sports marketing and technology companies also saw a gold mine there. “Brasilia has been shown to be a strategic point of brand activation, especially for nationally pulverized fans. In addition to being profitable, it creates a new connection with distant fans, expands partnership base and strengthens the value of brands,” says Henrique Borges, VP of Somos Young, a company that specializes in fans engagement.
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There is always a debate about how fair it is that the team sells its command because of sports isonomy. Some clubs complain that their rivals have advantage when playing at stadiums that come closer to neutrality compared to the field that would originally receive the match and can be considered as the home of the principal. No wonder CBF has banned the sale of mandates in the last five rounds of the Brasileirão.
Reginaldo Diniz, CEO and founding partner of End To End, a company that is a hub of solutions and engagement for the sports market, sees in the movement another opportunity.
“Whether due to a circumstantial necessity or as a club nationalization project, this movement should be carried out within the calendar planning. Many groups have national fans, and looking at football as an entertainment, without disregarding a modernization in the calendar and the mental and physical health of athletes, it seems to be very sense to bring important games and large teams to other regions of the country. They are physically far from their heart team, ”he said.
