Chargers' L.A. Move Sees An Unexpected Winner

You would be hard pressed to turn on Walt Disney Co DIS's ESPN today and not see the pundits talking about the San Diego Chargers' decision to leave its home of 55 years in favor of L.A.

Unexpected Winner

While the decision has been controversial, it has been in the works for over 15 years, as the team battled with city officials to get a new stadium — a difficult task with public money in California.

The unexpected winner from the team's decision? EBay IncEBAY's ticket reseller marketplace StubHub, according to Bloomberg. The Chargers have announced they will play two seasons at the StubHub Center, a 27,000 seat stadium in Carson, California, that also serves as home to the MLS’ L.A. Galaxy.

Fútbol Stadium Welcomes Football

The move will give the stadium some significant presence over the next two years and, according to analytics firm Apex Marketing Group Inc., gives Stubhub between $9 million and $14 million worth of exposure now that it is hosting an NFL team. The StubHub center will be by far the smallest and most intimate venue in the NFL.

“Soccer teams often play in football stadiums,” Eric Smallwood, managing director of sponsorship and analytics for Apex, was quoted as saying in the Bloomberg article. “It’s rare for that to go the other way.”

The next closest stadium in capacity? Oakland’s Alameda County Coliseum at 56,000, which may not see another NFL game either, as the Raiders are looking to move to Las Vegas.

The move by the Chargers instantly raises the profile of the stadium in Carson, as it will provide a unique vantage point of the NFL. It isn’t a bad deal for StubHub either.