Bills, New York Finalizing $1.4B Stadium Deal

A deal to keep the Bills in Buffalo through at least the middle of this century is nearly done.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said the deal was “almost in the end zone.” The Erie County Stadium Corp. unanimously approved the deal framework on Monday, clearing one of the remaining administrative hurdles.

• Under an agreement announced in March, the state will contribute $600 million to the $1.4 billion stadium project.
• Erie County will add $250 million.
• The Bills will be required to stay in Buffalo for 30 years under the terms of the deal. The state said that the team contributes $27 million annually in state and local taxes.

Hochul has insisted on a community benefits program, saying the Bills have committed more than $3 million to a range of local causes.

The team is hoping to have its new digs ready for the 2026 season.

No Need for Neutrality

The Bills’ season ended on Sunday with a 27-10 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC divisional round.

Had the Bills advanced, they would have played the Kansas City Chiefs in Atlanta, a neutral site selected by the NFL after a regular-season contest between the Bills and Bengals was canceled following a near-fatal incident with Bills safety Damar Hamlin. 

The league had sold more than 50,000 conditional tickets to the game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Instead, the Chiefs will host the Bengals for Sunday’s AFC Championship Game in Kansas City.