Circus Maximus

Circus Maximus traces the path of the Olympic Games and the World Cup from noble sporting events to exhibits of excess. It exposes the hollowness of the claims made by their private industry boosters and government supporters, all illustrated through a series of case studies ripping open the experiences of Barcelona, Sochi, Rio, and London.

Zimbalist finds no net economic gains for the countries that have played host to the Olympics or the World Cup. While the wealthy may profit, those in the middle and lower income brackets do not, and Zimbalist predicts more outbursts of political anger like that seen in Brazil surrounding the 2014 World Cup.

Listen to Andrew Zimbalist's ABC radio podcast

“"You'll be hearing a lot in the coming years about”

Indispensable for anyone who wants to understand the impact of hosting the Olympics." - Evan Horowitz, The Boston Globe

Andrew Zimbalist is the Robert A. Woods Professor of Economics at Smith College. He is the author of three Brookings Institition Press titles: Sports, Jobs, and Taxes: The Economic Impact of Sports Teams and Stadiums (1997); May The Best Team Win: Baseball Economics and Public Policy (2003); and National Pastime: How Americans Play Baseball and the Rest of the World Plays Soccer (2005).

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