Business Strategy: Thunder’s economic impact extends beyond the Paycom Center

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The 2024-25 Thunder season kicks off this Thursday, with the first home game on Sunday, October 27. This spring, we saw how palpable the city’s support of the Thunder is and the support is mutual: the city cheers for the team and the games ignites economic growth.

Last spring, when the team finished first in the Western Conference and advanced to the playoffs, OKC residents packed out the arena for each game. OKC canvassed the city Thunder blue, rallying fans to watch games at the Paycom Center or watch parties across the city, including rallies across the street at Scissortail Park. Support for local businesses surged—from bars and restaurants hosting watch parties, to local shops where fans bought merchandise, to our hotels hosting out-of-town fans, to local businesses partnering with the Thunder to enhance fan experience.

Since the Thunder moved to OKC, the Alliance for the Economic Development of OKC and other partners have continued to drive development enjoyed by fans. Even since the last Thunder playoff run in 2020, we’ve seen drastic growth, especially around the arena with the opening of Scissortail Park, the OKC Convention Center and the Omni OKC Hotel.

Scissortail Park, one of the final MAPS 3 projects and a project initiated with the Alliance’s assistance, is a key gathering space in OKC. This spring, the Thunder hosted several fan events at the park, including pre-game tailgates where thousands of fans visited small businesses like food trucks and pop-up shops.

The Omni, another project of the Alliance, is one of the largest public-private investments in Oklahoma. The increased room capacity supports the city’s tourism industry during the NBA season and throughout the year. The hotel’s event space and the abutting OKC Convention Center allows the city to host conferences, tradeshows and other sports events, drawing visitors regularly.

Looking forward, the growth tied to the team will only continue with the new stadium. A report on its impact estimates $590M in annual economic growth and over 3,000 new jobs. Developments for the stadium are ongoing but this week, the city of OKC will announce the architect of record for the new arena.

Enthusiasm for the OKC Thunder, and continued growth of the surrounding districts have played a significant role in the long-term economic benefits for the city. And to that, I say Thunder Up.

Kenton Tsoodle is president of The Alliance for Economic Development of Oklahoma City.