Chicago Sports Commission

What Chicago Sports Commission does

Chicago Sports Commission is a non-profit destination-marketing division established in 2011 and operating as an internal department within Choose Chicago, the official destination marketing organization for the City of Chicago. Its stated function is to attract national and international sporting events, tournaments, and athletic competitions to the Chicago metropolitan area by serving as a centralized point of contact between sports federations, event organizers, corporate sponsors, and local venues including McCormick Place, Wintrust Arena, United Center, and Soldier Field. The commission supports bid development, coordinates local organizing committees, promotes Chicago as a sports destination, and disseminates event information via the Choose Chicago digital platform and the Chicago Sports Report newsletter.

The organization does not sell products or services to end consumers and operates with a 1–10 person staff as a cost center within Choose Chicago rather than as an independent revenue-generating entity. Its business model relies on a mix of private-sector sponsorship, tourism improvement district contributions, and municipal support channeled through the parent organization. Distribution is concentrated on Choose Chicago's integrated marketing infrastructure — website, email newsletter, and organic social — supplemented by direct enterprise engagement with event organizers via the Choose Chicago RFP submission portal.

Strategically, the commission leverages a broad partner ecosystem that includes American Airlines, United Airlines, and Southwest Airlines as core strategic partners; Brand USA as an international destination-marketing partner; CityPASS as an attraction-passes partner; and Enjoy Illinois plus O'Hare and Midway International Airports as core regional partners. The entity does not publish financial disclosures, maintain independent funding rounds, hold patents, or list a standalone management team, and is governed operationally as part of the Choose Chicago entity headquartered at 301 E. Cermak Rd., Chicago, Illinois.

Name

Chicago Sports Commission

Legal name

Choose Chicago

Website

https://choosechicago.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Chicago Sports Commission is a non-profit destination-marketing division within Choose Chicago that attracts national and international sporting events, tournaments, and competitions to the Chicago metropolitan area by serving as a centralized liaison between sports federations, event organizers, corporate sponsors, and local venues.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Tourism Destination Marketing

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events without Facilities (711320), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events (7113)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Amateur Event & Tournament Organizers (Meets, Invitationals, Opens) (MPAKACAL)

Keywords

• Sports event bidding
• Destination marketing
• Sports tourism services
• Event attraction support
• Venue coordination

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Chicago Sports Commission is the dedicated sports division within Choose Chicago, the city's official destination marketing organization. It attracts and supports major sporting events, tournaments, and athletic competitions by serving as a centralized point of contact for bid development, local organizing committee coordination, venue and hotel liaison, and promotional outreach.

Product overview

Chicago Sports Commission is a division of Choose Chicago (the city's official destination marketing organization) focused on attracting and supporting sporting events in Chicago. The organization provides sports tourism services including event attraction, corporate partnership facilitation, and sports event promotion. The commission connects event organizers with Chicago venues, facilitates RFP submissions, and offers the Chicago Sports Report as a resource for sports industry updates.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sports Event Bidding and Attraction Services
• Corporate Sports Sponsorship Facilitation
• The Chicago Sports Report Newsletter

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• American AirlinescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial strategic partner of Choose Chicago, providing airline connectivity to Chicago for visitors attending sports events and conventions.
• Brand USAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial destination marketing partner representing the United States internationally, supporting promotion of Chicago sports tourism globally.
• CityPASSminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides attraction pass products that may include sports venues and enhance visitor experiences.
• Enjoy IllinoiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial state tourism partner supporting regional tourism promotion including Chicago sports events.
• O'Hare International Airport and Midway International AirportcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChicago's major airports providing air connectivity essential for sports tourists and event attendees.
• United AirlinescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial strategic partner providing airline services and potential travel discounts for meeting and event planners.
• Southwest AirlinescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial strategic partner providing additional airline connectivity to Chicago for visitors.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• NYC & Company (NYC Sports Commission): New York City's official DMO includes a sports commission that pursues major event bids and partners with corporate sponsors. Operates at a similar DMO-embedded model and competes head-to-head with CSC for marquee federation events.
• Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau Sports Commission: Boston's DMO runs a dedicated sports commission that bids for collegiate and amateur championships across Greater Boston. Direct functional peer to CSC on event attraction, federation liaison, and venue coordination.
• Greater Houston Sports & Entertainment Corporation: Houston's sports arm within its tourism organization bids for and supports major amateur and professional events. Operates with a similar mandate to attract sporting business to its metro on behalf of the parent DMO.
• Atlanta Sports Committee (within Atlanta CVB): Atlanta's destination marketing organization houses a sports committee focused on attracting championships and signature sporting events. Closely comparable in mission, structure, and event-attraction focus to CSC.
• LA Tourism & Convention Board (LA Sports Committee): LA's official DMO operates a dedicated sports arm that bids for and hosts major amateur, collegiate, and international sporting events across the LA metro. Mirrors CSC's structure, mandate, and customer base almost exactly.
• Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau (PHL Sports): Philadelphia's CVB includes a sports division that pursues host-city bids and works with local venues. Comparable DMO-embedded structure and shared customer segments with CSC.
• Dallas Sports Commission (within Visit Dallas): Visit Dallas hosts a sports commission tasked with bringing marquee sporting events to the Dallas metro. Matches CSC's role of coordinating venues, hotels, and local organizing committees around incoming championships.
• San Francisco Travel Association (Sports): San Francisco's official DMO includes sports-event attraction functions similar to CSC's role within Choose Chicago. Competes for Bay Area and Northern California host-city opportunities.
• Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (Sports): Las Vegas's DMO runs an active sports division that has rapidly scaled bid activity for major sporting events. A high-velocity direct peer competing for the same federation and collegiate events CSC targets.

Others

• National Council of Sports Organizations: Industry association representing U.S. sports commissions and sports-related CVBs. Not a competitor but a peer organization in the same ecosystem that convenes CSC's direct peers and shapes industry practice.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/choose-chicago

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Chicago Sports Commission