STATISTICS: The Cost of Being a Sport

Ever wonder how much Americans spend on munching hot dogs at football games or buying ski equipment for a winter jaunt? With the aid of the WEFA econometrics firm, a new Times Mirror magazine called Sports inc.: the Sports Business Weekly has compiled a gross national sports product (GNSP). The New York City- based magazine says Americans last year sank $47.25 billion, or more than 1% of total GNP, into sports. That puts sports just below the $49.5 billion motor vehicles industry but well ahead of the $38.9 billion U.S. petroleum and coal business. The GNSP includes estimates of spending on legal sports betting ($2.7 billion), ski lessons, rentals and lift tickets ($1.13 billion) and purchases of baseball and other trading cards ($200 million).