Utilization is one of the clearest drivers of stadium economics. More events generally mean more revenue.

As we've studied utilization rates across U.S. professional sports venues, two things have stood out: the median levels appear surprisingly consistent from league to league, and the median number of events per year is much lower than many would expect.

That led us to wonder: how can owners increase venue utilization?

In a stadium context, usability is about how effectively the building enables action across the entire operation:

• How easily fans can transact and navigate?
• How efficiently staff can operate the venue?
• How effectively partners can leverage stadium infrastructure?
• How quickly the building can adapt to different event types and operational demands?

Venue utilization is influenced by many factors beyond usability. At the same time, usability is one of the few aspects of venue operations owners can directly measure and improve through the systems and workflows that support fans, staff, operators, and partners.

Given its potential value, it is striking how rarely usability appears to be measured.