On Sunday, February 11, the biggest sporting event of the year will kick off in Las Vegas as the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers seek their place in the history books for their fourth and sixth Super Bowl titles, respectively.
The Super Bowl and the lifelong memories it creates for millions of fans is powered by American business, which provides the goods, services, and hospitality to pull it off. Companies of all sizes contribute to the excitement and unforgettable moments – and in doing so they create jobs and growth in Las Vegas and hometowns across America.
Fill me in: From the hot dogs sold in Allegiant Stadium to the team apparel donned by fans around the world, business powers the big game and touches people’s lives. From Las Vegas and Clark County to San Francisco to Kansas City—and across the country—the game brings economic growth and opportunity to individuals and communities.
Clark County impact: Every host city sees an influx of visitors and new customers. An estimated 150,000 visitors will come to the city for the game, on top of regular visitors and the 300,000 people who come to Las Vegas to watch the Super Bowl in any given year.
The Las Vegas metro area is expecting at least $500 million in total economic impact and an estimated $70 million in local and state tax revenue due to the game. Hotels, transportation services, restaurants, and retail businesses have been preparing to serve more customers and create once in a lifetime experiences for fans.
- What’s more, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce estimates that those 150,000 extra visitors alone benefit the Las Vegas economy by a minimum of $215 million that they spend on food, drinks, hotels, and Super Bowl-related items. That’s on top of the additional $140 million extra fans living in the Las Vegas area will spend because of the Super Bowl, and doesn’t account for spending on ground transportation, spending at the casinos, on shows, or other entertainment.
The NFL and the city of Las Vegas are partnering to use the game to grow the city’s economy. The city of Las Vegas and the Super Bowl Host Committee have launched the “Corporate Combine” to host business leaders from around the country and showcase all the region has to offer. The goal is to leverage Super Bowl LVIII to attract more businesses and private sector investment to the Las Vegas area.
- Additionally, the Super Bowl LVIII Business Connect program works to ensure a diverse set of vendors and contractors, including women, minority, veteran, and LGBTQ-owned businesses as well as businesses owned by Americans with disabilities.
The national impact of the Super Bowl: The game’s economic benefits for the host city are well-known. Lesser known is how the Super Bowl helps local communities thousands of miles from the game.
Nationwide, people engage in economic activity in conjunction with the big game from investing in electronics or ordering pizzas, wings and beer from local restaurants. The Super Bowl provides big support to small local businesses and their customers.
All this extra business activity adds up to healthy economies. Based on a survey of the American public conducted by the National Retail Federation, fans from across the country will spend $17.3 billion on the Super Bowl this year for things such as food, drinks, apparel, decorations, and other purchases. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce used this figure to determine spending by residents in 386 metropolitan statistical areas according to their populations, including:
- Columbia, SC: $51 million
- Syracuse, NY: $39 million
- Anchorage, AK: $24 million
- Shreveport, LA: $23 million
- Davenport, IA: $23 million
- Erie, PA: $16 million
- Punta Gorda, FL: $12 million
- Osh Kosh, WI: $10.1 million
- Missoula, MT: $7.2 million
- Walla Walla, WA: $3.7 million
Bottom line: The Super Bowl is a major annual event for everyone from football fanatics to music enthusiasts to those who just want to be part of the excitement. It creates memories that last a lifetime, and it is powered by American business.
About the authors
Curtis Dubay
Curtis Dubay is Chief Economist, Economic Policy Division at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. He heads the Chamber’s research on the U.S. and global economies.
