There are new estimates of how much a planned Sphere entertainment venue in Prince George’s County, Maryland, would benefit the D.C. region.
The project, announced last month, would bring a smaller version of the Las Vegas Sphere to National Harbor.
Results of a comprehensive study conducted by Ernst & Young released Wednesday found the project would have an economic impact of $1.3 billion a year.
It also determined the project would create about 3,350 jobs during the construction phase, and about 7,100 jobs once it opens. The permanent jobs would be at the venue itself and at businesses in the nearby area.
Those are increases from earlier estimates of $1 billion a year in economic impact, 2,500 construction jobs and 4,750 permanent jobs.
The study also estimated that more than 2 million people a year would attend events at the Sphere at National Harbor.
“We continue to see just how transformational this is going to be, not just for Prince George’s County and not just for the state of Maryland, but truthfully for the entire region,” Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said Wednesday.
It was initially announced that the project would involve about $200 million in incentives from the county and state, and that amount has not changed, Prince George’s County Executive Aisha Braveboy said Wednesday.
Braveboy said tax revenues alone from the new project would more than triple what the county has been getting from the Six Flags amusement park in Bowie that closed late last year, and Northwest Stadium in Landover where the Washington Commanders play. The Commanders expect to start playing in a new stadium in D.C. in 2030.
“I feel really good about getting this project up, hopefully before the Commanders leave. That would be our goal,” Braveboy said.
Prince George’s County is not Las Vegas, she said, but it is “the destination of the East Coast.”
She added that the project will solidify her county as the area’s “entertainment (and) tech capital.”
“We already have quantum computing. We have a thriving aerospace and cybersecurity industry here … and now, we’ll be the center for entertainment tech in the region,” Braveboy said.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2026 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
