Here's how much money the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo lassos up

HOUSTON, Texas -- Simply brave the lines at a RodeoHouston concert or any event at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, and one thing becomes inescapably clear: business is bigger than a prize-winning steer.

The rodeo drew more than 2.5 million total visitors between Feb. 21 and March 17 this year, according to the latest data.

RodeoHouston also boasted more than a million unique attendees (as opposed to those who visited more than once), with 27 percent from outside Greater Houston. Visitors hailed from a total 75 countries.
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Music fans will remember that the rodeo broke two records for concert attendance in 2019: Cardi B (75,580 attendees) and George Strait (80,108 attendees).

Obviously, the rodeo is a cash cow for organizers. But other than congested traffic on 610 and packed hotels, just what does Houston get out of the whole deal?
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