The Costs of Hosting the Super Bowl

By CAROLINE CANNATA ‘22

Football dominates the Sunday afternoons of many American households throughout the month of January. As religious followers of football count down the days left until the Super Bowl, many are blind to another battle that takes place far away from the field: a group of cities must convince an NFL committee why their city deserves to host one of the most profitable sporting events in the United States. 

This year, that honor went to Santa Clara. The widespread enthusiasm for the Super Bowl was reflected in the revenue that the game generated for the city. According to the San Francisco Business Times, new data released on Monday by the San Francisco Controller’s Office said that hosting Super Bowl 50 brought the city $2 million more than expected, even on top of the $5.5 million the event poured into local businesses and the $13 million that went to nonprofits. Despite spending $20.5 million, the city of Santa Clara now swims in the benefits of a 4-hour game.

However, Monday’s numbers do not account for the costs not covered by the NFL’s Host Committee. Santa Clara may have their services bandanged by the wealth of the organisation, but their neighbor next door, San Francisco, felt the burden of their own price tag. San Francisco Business Times reports that the city’s taxpayers were badly represented by Mayor Ed Lee’s staff in negotiating the weeklong Super Bowl 50 festivities. An independent study reported the city will have to pay $5 million to account for the multitude of entertainments. 

Nevertheless, experts argue the insignificance of this number, as it pales in comparison to the economic boost to a host of businesses large and small. P.J. Johnston, an NFL spokesman for Super Bowl 50, told CNBC that San Francisco will “reap millions of dollars” through various forms of leisure spending and tax revenue. 

The profits of the Super Bowl are an undeniable fact. As cities continue to wrestle with the costs and benefits of the game, the NFL will be expected to comprehensively support host cities. City officials and taxpayers alike will undoubtedly be holding the organization to this expectation.