City Council Approves Agreement to Extend Dallas Cowboys Lease
Published on April 21, 2026
By the Office of Communication
The Arlington City Council approved a master agreement with the Dallas Cowboys to extend the team’s lease at AT&T Stadium through 2055, ensuring the continued success of one of the City’s most significant economic drivers.
The team's lease of the City-owned stadium, which opened in 2009, was set to expire in 2040 with an option to renew in the future. The agreement extends the team’s lease by an additional 15 years, providing long-term certainty for both the City and the team. The agreement will also bring investment in improvements to the stadium complex and surrounding public infrastructure, ensuring the stadium remains competitive, secure, and capable of hosting world-class events for decades to come.
AT&T Stadium’s economic impact is already substantial—and projected to grow. A newly released independent analysis by HR&A Advisors found that the team's use and operation of the stadium currently generates about $324 million in annual economic impact in Arlington. From 2026 through 2055, the extended lease term, stadium operations, event-related visitor spending and other associated effects will generate an estimated $9.7 billion for the Arlington economy, the study finds. Looking ahead, the analysis also projects that from 2041 to 2055, the extended lease term, the team's use and operation of the stadium will produce a nearly $460 fiscal impact for the City of Arlington. These revenues help the City continue to enhance public services, which include hiring additional police and firefighters, maintaining streets and building new roads and sidewalks, and improving parks, libraries and recreation centers.
Since opening in 2009, AT&T Stadium has served as one of the anchors of Arlington’s Entertainment District and hosted some of the world’s most recognizable events, including the NCAA Final Four, the NFL Draft, the Cotton Bowl Classic, WWE WrestleMania, and major concerts like Taylor Swift, Beyonce and Bad Bunny. The stadium will continue that legacy as it prepares to host nine matches during the FIFA World Cup this summer, further elevating Arlington’s global profile and reinforcing the venue’s role as a premier destination for sports and entertainment.
What are details of the investment?
Under the agreement, the team will invest a minimum of $750 million in the ongoing maintenance, operation, and improvement of the stadium complex through the end of the extended lease term. The City will contribute up to $273 million (net present value) over a 20-year period through a maintenance and operations account. The City’s contribution would be funded by revenue generated through voter-approved venue taxes already in place, not the City’s General Fund or new taxes. The team will front the costs for improvements that are eligible for reimbursement by the City over time.
The investment will fund improvements that enhance security, including upgrades to maintain high security measures to meet enhanced SAFETY Act certification standards from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and will improve traffic flow, pedestrian safety, and overall event operations that benefit the City and the local economy.
The team will continue to operate and maintain the stadium complex and will lead the design and construction of all improvements, fronting the costs to ensure completion by 2043.
The agreement also:
- Extends the $2 million annual lease agreement and $500,000 annual naming rights payment to the City through 2055.
- Extends the team’s commitment to charitable contributions of $500,000 a year for initiatives that support local youth through 2055.
How will Arlington’s contribution be funded?
In 2004, Arlington voters approved a half-cent sales tax increase, a 2% hotel occupancy tax, a 5% rental car tax, a 10% ticket tax and a $3 parking tax to fund a new retractable-roof stadium that would bring the Cowboys to town. These taxes are largely paid by visitors, a number that has grown to nearly 16 million a year. In 2016, Arlington voters again approved the use of these same taxes to pay for a retractable-roof stadium for the Texas Rangers, now known as Globe Life Field. These tax revenues combined generate approximately $55 million a year. This revenue source is restricted by law to fund the voter-approved approved venue projects, not any other City expenses.
Why is this not up for a public vote?
Arlington voters authorized the use of the venue taxes in 2004, and again in 2016, to fund the approved venue projects. This includes authority to fund ongoing maintenance and operation costs to the city-owned venue complexes. Because the agreement operates within that existing authority and does not extend collection of the venue taxes beyond 2048, no additional voter approval is required.
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