We have officially concluded the 2023 NFL season after a nail-biting Finale at Allegiant Stadium. The Kansas City side made history and ended the almost two-decade-long drought without two back-to-back Championships since the Patriots’ 2003 and 2004. They will once again try to defend their title in the coming season and perhaps finally clinch that three-peat — a feat yet to be achieved by an NFL franchise. So, hypothetically or not, if the Chiefs were to make their way into the Super Bowl once again in 2024, where would the showdown be held this time?
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In about 359 days, the Super Bowl LIX will come back to one of the most popular venues in Super Bowl history — at the Ceasars Superdome, home of the New Orleans Saints. They have already hosted the Big Game a whopping 10 times and are set to tie with Miami’s 11 — clinching the top spot after the conclusion of the 2024 season.
Two more future Super Bowl sites have already been confirmed aside from the Saints’ venue next year. For the 2025 season, the Big Game will head back to the San Francisco Bay Area for the third time — at Levi’s Stadium (Santa Clara, California). And for the following season finale, Super Bowl LXI — the Sofi Stadium, home of the Rams and the Chargers — will welcome back the Big Game for the ninth time since its inception.
It’s no secret that the Super Bowl is one of the grandest, if not the grandest, events in the US. It’s also the mint for the NFL since it basically prints money every year, and the growth is always continuous. Ahead of the game, CBS reported that American people were poised to spend $17.3 billion — Yes, an economy-collapsing amount — during the Super Bowl.
Even Sin City broke the state record for wagers of $185.6 million on the game. Moreover, reports indicated that 300,000 people were set to show up in Vegas during the Super Bowl weekend — and the majority of them would spend their time in casinos, restaurants, and other tourist attractions, not only boosting the economy but also helping local businesses flourish. But a question remains:
Do Super Bowls Have a Bad Effect on Their Venue?
While Rollingstone estimated that Vegas was set to rake in $700 million during the Super Bowl weekend, there are also a few key factors to consider that would make that sum significantly smaller.
The NFL’s broadcaster this season, CBS, drew the largest TV audience on record — 123.7 million. Their $7 million per half-minute Ads sold out as well, months before the Super Bowl, raking in the moolah. It’s also worth noting how the NFL gets to host its Super Bowl at the Stadium of its choosing without any fee — organize an entertaining half-time show, without even paying the artists. So it’s safe to say that both CBS and the NFL went back home stacked and racked.
However, in the case of Las Vegas, the story shouldn’t be any different, like every other Super Bowl weekend. As per Business Insider — the host city, on average, spends about $250 million in Stadium renovations, takes a loss of $6 million or more for transporting fans, and an even larger tax break to the league. The City also needs to bear additional expenses for billboards, hotel rooms, food, parking spaces, and more during the Super Bowl weekend.
So, does this mean that the Super Bowl isn’t profitable for its venue? It certainly is. It puts the city back on the map if needed — it becomes a non-stop commercial for the host city’s tourist attractions — and it even creates more than 4000 jobs per season. The only aspect that’s blown out of proportion is the total profit, which is never really accurate.
Last but not least, if you’re wondering how these venues get selected, the respective city has the opportunity to present its proposal, and if the owners vote to accept, the destination for the Super Bowl is set.
