When State Farm Stadium was tapped to host Super Bowl LVII back in 2018, Arizona already knew it would take five years to plan for 60 minutes of football.
It’s the fourth time the big game will be played in the Grand Canyon State and the third time at the Cardinal’s nest in Glendale since 2008.
But the hotly anticipated bout between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, February 12, is about a lot more than football. Arizona’s economy will feel the warm embrace of Super Bowl stimulation for years to come — just like it did with the last Super Bowl in 2015, according to experts.
From the $600 million impact on metro Phoenix to the 300 million gallons of beer fans will drink, here are 16 thought-provoking statistics and facts about Super Bowl LVII that all desert dwellers should know.
How Many People Are Coming for the Super Bowl?
The Super Bowl will bring about 100,000 visitors to metro Phoenix, according to Anthony Evans, a senior research fellow at the Seidman Research Institute at Arizona State University. When the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks met in Glendale for Super Bowl XLIX in 2015, more than 120,000 fans came to the Valley to participate in football-related merrymaking. The total turnout depends on factors such as the desirability of a host city and the popularity of the teams playing in the big game, Evans said. Phoenix’s mild winter makes it an exceptionally desirable destination this time of year, while the Eagles and Chiefs stake claim to two of the nine largest fan bases in the NFL.
How Many People Will Watch the Super Bowl?
The Super Bowl’s ever-increasing viewership figures are projected to reach more than 192 million people next weekend, according to data from the National Retail Federation. That’s a massive jump from just 99 million last year, according to the online gambling platform Betway. State Farm Stadium will welcome 73,000 fans to watch the action in person.
What Economic Impact Will the Super Bowl Have on Arizona?
The 2015 Super Bowl generated $719 million of economic activity across metro Phoenix, Evans said. But that year, Phoenix also hosted the Pro Bowl, an annual event featuring the NFL’s star players. This year, the Pro Bowl is in Las Vegas, which could lower the economic impact of the Super Bowl across the Valley. Evans expects around $600 million worth of economic activity, even with the WM Phoenix Open — the most-attended stop on the PGA Tour — happening the same weekend.
“The WM Phoenix Open happens every year,” Evans told Phoenix New Times. “It should not be positioned as a replacement for the Pro Bowl.” Other experts put the economic impact much higher. Danny Seiden, CEO of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce, predicted the hoopla could spark as much as $2 billion in economic activity. Evans admitted that “there is no ceiling” on the potential economic impact of the Super Bowl this year.
How Many Jobs Will the Super Bowl Create in Phoenix?
Hotels, bars, restaurants, and transportation companies are hiring extra staff to meet the increase in demand, while visitor attractions will dole out bonus bucks in wages for seven to 10 days surrounding the Super Bowl, according to Evans. But the Super Bowl will do more than boost short-term employment after an infusion of new dollars ripples across the Valley, he said. The 2015 Super Bowl generated 6,700 job years of employment in Arizona, and this one is poised to do the same. “There’s no Pro Bowl in Arizona this year, but the boost to employment will still be significant,” Evans said.
What Does It Cost to Host a Super Bowl?
The 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi cost the Russian city a whopping $60 billion. Hosting a Super Bowl isn’t so expensive. In fact, Arizona isn’t expected to pay much money for the Super Bowl at all. “The biggest cost for hosting a Super Bowl is the stadium,” Evans said. “Arizona already has a stadium that meets the NFL’s needs. The NFL has probably insisted on some minor modifications and enhancements to the stadium and local infrastructure, but local taxpayers have avoided the billions of dollars needed to construct a new stadium,” he explained. Some Valley cities will incur extra costs for policing, emergency services, and security, but those costs will be offset by the massive injection of out-of-state dollars that will help local businesses and create revenue for state and local governments.
How Many Times Has Arizona Hosted the Super Bowl?
Arizona hosted its first Super Bowl in 1996 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe. Since then, the big game has been played at State Farm Stadium three times — in 2008, 2015, and 2023. Most NFL venues — 16 of the 30 — have never hosted the Super Bowl. “This is the fourth time in 28 years the state has hosted the biggest event in U.S. sports,” Evans said. “When it comes to attracting major sports events, Arizona punches above its weight.”
What Happened at the Last Super Bowl in Arizona?
The 2015 Super Bowl in Arizona contained one of the most iconic Super Bowl moments ever. Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler picked off Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson at New England’s 1-yard line to earn Tom Brady his fourth ring. The NFL has changed a lot since then, and so has our city. Since 2015, the Valley has welcomed more than 200,000 new permanent residents. “Downtown Phoenix has changed a lot since the last big game,” Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego said in July 2022. “We look forward to visitors experiencing the growth of business, restaurants, arts, entertainment, and our massively improved transportation.”
During the last Super Bowl in Glendale, $52 million was added in hotel room revenue in metro Phoenix, according to Visit Phoenix. Hotel occupancy was at 95 percent in metro Phoenix, the seventh-highest ever. The light rail zipped 390,000 riders around town that week — the most ever in a week. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport saw more than 180,000 departing passengers on the Monday after the Super Bowl, also a record for the airport. The city of Phoenix received $25,000 for FitPHX and library reading programs, according to city documents.
How Much Are Tickets to the Super Bowl?
There are still about 2,900 Super Bowl tickets left on the market, but if you want to claim the temporary rights to a seat inside State Farm Stadium, you’d better be willing to shell out more than $9,300 a pop — the average cost per ticket as of Monday, according to ticket data sites. Remaining tickets start at slightly less than $6,000, according to ticket data aggregator TicketIQ, while the most expensive seat is selling for $40,000. But the average price per seat on the secondary market is still $600 less than last year’s Super Bowl at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, according to ticketing technology company Logitix. Ticket prices “saw a slight uptick in demand after the Super Bowl matchups were confirmed,” Logitix spokesperson Eric Nemeth said.
Are Hotels Sold Out?
West Palm Beach, Florida-based booking service Hotel Planner reported that all of the downtown Glendale hotels are booked for Super Bowl LVII, and surrounding hotels in greater Phoenix will likely be sold out ahead of the game, too. There are only 12 hotels in downtown Glendale totaling 18,000 rooms, which is fewer than most Super Bowl host cities, according to Hotel Planner’s chief marketing officer, Philip Ballard. “What I’ve gathered from calling about half of these hotels is that they have been completely sold out for more than a year,” Ballard told New Times. “I suspect that once Glendale was announced as a likely city, all the corporations, sponsors, and rabid fans who want to attend regardless of who plays gobbled up those rooms two or three years ago.”
How Much Are Hotel Rooms in Phoenix?
Hotel rooms in metro Phoenix are selling for sky-high prices — triple the rates of an average weekend, Ballard said. The Holiday Inn at Glendale Stadium has been sold out since last year with rooms that went for a whopping $900 per night. Marriott’s Renaissance Hotel in downtown Phoenix, which charges less than $300 per night on average most days, is renting rooms out during Super Bowl week for $1,500 a night. According to Ballard, room rates in metro Phoenix are already about 20 percent higher during snowbird season. And the fact that other blockbuster sports escapades are happening in Phoenix next weekend bumped up prices even more.
“Other major events like the PGA Tour are surely going to affect occupancy and room rates because there is extremely high demand and limited supply,” Ballard said. “It’s like a forced multiplier effect.” Airbnb and VRBO rentals, meanwhile, can cost up to $2,000 per night on average, according to Hotel Planner. Ballard predicted that the hotel industry in Phoenix will continue to thrive for years as football fans who are visiting the Valley for the first time for the Super Bowl make future plans to return for other events and sightseeing opportunities. “The Super Bowl is a high holiday for most Americans,” he said. “The positive goodwill that Glendale will generate will last for years.”
How Does the Super Bowl Impact Restaurants?
Restaurants in metro Phoenix, especially near Glendale, are going to experience a whopping 20 percent to 25 percent increase in normal revenue during Super Bowl week, Arizona Restaurant Association President Steve Chucri told New Times. The majority of Arizona’s 10,000 restaurants are located in metro Phoenix. And while a restaurant in San Tan Valley might not expect much of a jump, an Eagles fan coming to stay with family in that town will still dine near their accommodations, Chucri pointed out. “Our mom and pop restaurants, which are a majority in the state, really benefit quite a bit from an economic engine like the Super Bowl,” he said. “We’re excited for all restaurants in Arizona.”
Restaurateurs in the metro area face a daunting challenge with an immense payoff. “You’ve got to labor up, and you have to order more food than you typically use,” Chucri explained. “You just can’t run out at 6 o’clock in the evening.”
How Many Hot Dogs and Beers Will State Farm Stadium Serve?
Americans are expected to consume more than 300 million gallons of beer, 28 million pounds of chips, and 1.42 billion chicken wings during the Super Bowl, according to World Food Program USA. What about fans at State Farm Stadium? Stadium spokesperson Rebecca Mobley declined to share how many beers, hot dogs, and wings the venue has on hand. But Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta has the same capacity as State Farm, and when it hosted the Super Bowl in 2019, fans purchased 117,400 beers during the game, along with 16,300 hot dogs.
What’s the Go-To Super Bowl Snack in Arizona?
Arizona’s favorite Super Bowl snack is chips and salsa, according to a January survey from the sports media company Wegryn Enterprises. Arizonans share that distinction with Hawaii, North Carolina, and Texas. Americans will chow down on more than 8.2 million pounds of tortilla chips during the Super Bowl, according to New Jersey-based Premio Foods.
How Much Grass Is Needed to Cover the Field?
One million pounds of newly grown green grass will cover the field at State Farm Stadium for the Super Bowl, according to the NFL. A local sod farm began growing the turf field for Super Bowl LVII one year ago. That field, which consists of Bermuda grass and perennial ryegrass, was cut into 40-foot-long, 1,600-pound rolls that will be unfurled one at a time until the field is complete. After Chiefs head coach Andy Reid complained about Arizona’s field quality following an opening-week matchup with the Cardinals, an NFL spokesperson said this field was grown to be tough enough not only for the big game but also for the pregame, halftime, and postgame festivities.
How Much Confetti Will Fall at State Farm Stadium?
The NFL die-cuts 3,000 pounds of confetti into the shape of the iconic football-shaped sterling silver trophy. That's enough colored confetti to celebrate a win for either team, according to Michael Fiur, executive producer of the Super Bowl postgame show and Lombardi Trophy presentation. The league uses 98 percent recycled materials to make the confetti. Confetti for the losing team is returned to the manufacturer to be recycled into new confetti for next year’s Super Bowl.
How Much Will Advertisers Spend On the Super Bowl?
The average cost of a 30-second ad during the Super Bowl this year is $7 million, up $500,000 from last year and the highest ever, according to Betway. That’s about the cost for two highly anticipated beer commercials this year, and it’s money well spent, said Michelob Ultra and Bud Light spokesperson John Heid. One in five Americans who tunes in for the Super Bowl is most excited about the commercials.
Michelob Ultra will air a star-studded Caddyshack-inspired Super Bowl spot featuring Serena Williams, Brian Cox, Tony Romo, Alex Morgan, Canelo Alvarez, and Nneka Ogwumike. Bud Light, an iconic Super Bowl advertiser, will air an ad in which actor Miles Teller and his wife, Keleigh Sperry, “achieve peak couple goals" through Bud Light and dancing, Heid said. As Sperry waits on the phone while the annoyingly catchy hold music plays throughout the room, Teller cracks open a Bud Light and starts dancing before his wife joins in. "They light up the room together, dancing in rhythm to the music and taking the otherwise boring moment as an opportunity to enjoy together,” Heid said.
It’s the fourth time the big game will be played in the Grand Canyon State and the third time at the Cardinal’s nest in Glendale since 2008.
But the hotly anticipated bout between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, February 12, is about a lot more than football. Arizona’s economy will feel the warm embrace of Super Bowl stimulation for years to come — just like it did with the last Super Bowl in 2015, according to experts.
From the $600 million impact on metro Phoenix to the 300 million gallons of beer fans will drink, here are 16 thought-provoking statistics and facts about Super Bowl LVII that all desert dwellers should know.
How Many People Are Coming for the Super Bowl?
The Super Bowl will bring about 100,000 visitors to metro Phoenix, according to Anthony Evans, a senior research fellow at the Seidman Research Institute at Arizona State University. When the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks met in Glendale for Super Bowl XLIX in 2015, more than 120,000 fans came to the Valley to participate in football-related merrymaking. The total turnout depends on factors such as the desirability of a host city and the popularity of the teams playing in the big game, Evans said. Phoenix’s mild winter makes it an exceptionally desirable destination this time of year, while the Eagles and Chiefs stake claim to two of the nine largest fan bases in the NFL.How Many People Will Watch the Super Bowl?
The Super Bowl’s ever-increasing viewership figures are projected to reach more than 192 million people next weekend, according to data from the National Retail Federation. That’s a massive jump from just 99 million last year, according to the online gambling platform Betway. State Farm Stadium will welcome 73,000 fans to watch the action in person.What Economic Impact Will the Super Bowl Have on Arizona?
The 2015 Super Bowl generated $719 million of economic activity across metro Phoenix, Evans said. But that year, Phoenix also hosted the Pro Bowl, an annual event featuring the NFL’s star players. This year, the Pro Bowl is in Las Vegas, which could lower the economic impact of the Super Bowl across the Valley. Evans expects around $600 million worth of economic activity, even with the WM Phoenix Open — the most-attended stop on the PGA Tour — happening the same weekend. “The WM Phoenix Open happens every year,” Evans told Phoenix New Times. “It should not be positioned as a replacement for the Pro Bowl.” Other experts put the economic impact much higher. Danny Seiden, CEO of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce, predicted the hoopla could spark as much as $2 billion in economic activity. Evans admitted that “there is no ceiling” on the potential economic impact of the Super Bowl this year.
Locally owned spots in Glendale, including Haus Murphy's, are likely to enjoy a Super Bowl boost to their bottom lines.
Lauren Cusimano
How Many Jobs Will the Super Bowl Create in Phoenix?
Hotels, bars, restaurants, and transportation companies are hiring extra staff to meet the increase in demand, while visitor attractions will dole out bonus bucks in wages for seven to 10 days surrounding the Super Bowl, according to Evans. But the Super Bowl will do more than boost short-term employment after an infusion of new dollars ripples across the Valley, he said. The 2015 Super Bowl generated 6,700 job years of employment in Arizona, and this one is poised to do the same. “There’s no Pro Bowl in Arizona this year, but the boost to employment will still be significant,” Evans said.What Does It Cost to Host a Super Bowl?
The 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi cost the Russian city a whopping $60 billion. Hosting a Super Bowl isn’t so expensive. In fact, Arizona isn’t expected to pay much money for the Super Bowl at all. “The biggest cost for hosting a Super Bowl is the stadium,” Evans said. “Arizona already has a stadium that meets the NFL’s needs. The NFL has probably insisted on some minor modifications and enhancements to the stadium and local infrastructure, but local taxpayers have avoided the billions of dollars needed to construct a new stadium,” he explained. Some Valley cities will incur extra costs for policing, emergency services, and security, but those costs will be offset by the massive injection of out-of-state dollars that will help local businesses and create revenue for state and local governments.
The Meat Shop, a Phoenix institution, is creating custom foot-long hot dogs for the Super Bowl Experience. Manager David Grant examines a side of beef they'll use for their creations.
Geri Koeppel
How Many Times Has Arizona Hosted the Super Bowl?
Arizona hosted its first Super Bowl in 1996 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe. Since then, the big game has been played at State Farm Stadium three times — in 2008, 2015, and 2023. Most NFL venues — 16 of the 30 — have never hosted the Super Bowl. “This is the fourth time in 28 years the state has hosted the biggest event in U.S. sports,” Evans said. “When it comes to attracting major sports events, Arizona punches above its weight.”What Happened at the Last Super Bowl in Arizona?
The 2015 Super Bowl in Arizona contained one of the most iconic Super Bowl moments ever. Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler picked off Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson at New England’s 1-yard line to earn Tom Brady his fourth ring. The NFL has changed a lot since then, and so has our city. Since 2015, the Valley has welcomed more than 200,000 new permanent residents. “Downtown Phoenix has changed a lot since the last big game,” Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego said in July 2022. “We look forward to visitors experiencing the growth of business, restaurants, arts, entertainment, and our massively improved transportation.” During the last Super Bowl in Glendale, $52 million was added in hotel room revenue in metro Phoenix, according to Visit Phoenix. Hotel occupancy was at 95 percent in metro Phoenix, the seventh-highest ever. The light rail zipped 390,000 riders around town that week — the most ever in a week. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport saw more than 180,000 departing passengers on the Monday after the Super Bowl, also a record for the airport. The city of Phoenix received $25,000 for FitPHX and library reading programs, according to city documents.
How Much Are Tickets to the Super Bowl?
There are still about 2,900 Super Bowl tickets left on the market, but if you want to claim the temporary rights to a seat inside State Farm Stadium, you’d better be willing to shell out more than $9,300 a pop — the average cost per ticket as of Monday, according to ticket data sites. Remaining tickets start at slightly less than $6,000, according to ticket data aggregator TicketIQ, while the most expensive seat is selling for $40,000. But the average price per seat on the secondary market is still $600 less than last year’s Super Bowl at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, according to ticketing technology company Logitix. Ticket prices “saw a slight uptick in demand after the Super Bowl matchups were confirmed,” Logitix spokesperson Eric Nemeth said.Are Hotels Sold Out?
West Palm Beach, Florida-based booking service Hotel Planner reported that all of the downtown Glendale hotels are booked for Super Bowl LVII, and surrounding hotels in greater Phoenix will likely be sold out ahead of the game, too. There are only 12 hotels in downtown Glendale totaling 18,000 rooms, which is fewer than most Super Bowl host cities, according to Hotel Planner’s chief marketing officer, Philip Ballard. “What I’ve gathered from calling about half of these hotels is that they have been completely sold out for more than a year,” Ballard told New Times. “I suspect that once Glendale was announced as a likely city, all the corporations, sponsors, and rabid fans who want to attend regardless of who plays gobbled up those rooms two or three years ago.”How Much Are Hotel Rooms in Phoenix?
Hotel rooms in metro Phoenix are selling for sky-high prices — triple the rates of an average weekend, Ballard said. The Holiday Inn at Glendale Stadium has been sold out since last year with rooms that went for a whopping $900 per night. Marriott’s Renaissance Hotel in downtown Phoenix, which charges less than $300 per night on average most days, is renting rooms out during Super Bowl week for $1,500 a night. According to Ballard, room rates in metro Phoenix are already about 20 percent higher during snowbird season. And the fact that other blockbuster sports escapades are happening in Phoenix next weekend bumped up prices even more. “Other major events like the PGA Tour are surely going to affect occupancy and room rates because there is extremely high demand and limited supply,” Ballard said. “It’s like a forced multiplier effect.” Airbnb and VRBO rentals, meanwhile, can cost up to $2,000 per night on average, according to Hotel Planner. Ballard predicted that the hotel industry in Phoenix will continue to thrive for years as football fans who are visiting the Valley for the first time for the Super Bowl make future plans to return for other events and sightseeing opportunities. “The Super Bowl is a high holiday for most Americans,” he said. “The positive goodwill that Glendale will generate will last for years.”
Super Bowl fans looking for a local treat can dine on Carousel's $18 Mac Daddy Cheeseburger.
Mike Madriaga
How Does the Super Bowl Impact Restaurants?
Restaurants in metro Phoenix, especially near Glendale, are going to experience a whopping 20 percent to 25 percent increase in normal revenue during Super Bowl week, Arizona Restaurant Association President Steve Chucri told New Times. The majority of Arizona’s 10,000 restaurants are located in metro Phoenix. And while a restaurant in San Tan Valley might not expect much of a jump, an Eagles fan coming to stay with family in that town will still dine near their accommodations, Chucri pointed out. “Our mom and pop restaurants, which are a majority in the state, really benefit quite a bit from an economic engine like the Super Bowl,” he said. “We’re excited for all restaurants in Arizona.” Restaurateurs in the metro area face a daunting challenge with an immense payoff. “You’ve got to labor up, and you have to order more food than you typically use,” Chucri explained. “You just can’t run out at 6 o’clock in the evening.”
How Many Hot Dogs and Beers Will State Farm Stadium Serve?
Americans are expected to consume more than 300 million gallons of beer, 28 million pounds of chips, and 1.42 billion chicken wings during the Super Bowl, according to World Food Program USA. What about fans at State Farm Stadium? Stadium spokesperson Rebecca Mobley declined to share how many beers, hot dogs, and wings the venue has on hand. But Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta has the same capacity as State Farm, and when it hosted the Super Bowl in 2019, fans purchased 117,400 beers during the game, along with 16,300 hot dogs.
What’s the Go-To Super Bowl Snack in Arizona?
Arizona’s favorite Super Bowl snack is chips and salsa, according to a January survey from the sports media company Wegryn Enterprises. Arizonans share that distinction with Hawaii, North Carolina, and Texas. Americans will chow down on more than 8.2 million pounds of tortilla chips during the Super Bowl, according to New Jersey-based Premio Foods.How Much Grass Is Needed to Cover the Field?
One million pounds of newly grown green grass will cover the field at State Farm Stadium for the Super Bowl, according to the NFL. A local sod farm began growing the turf field for Super Bowl LVII one year ago. That field, which consists of Bermuda grass and perennial ryegrass, was cut into 40-foot-long, 1,600-pound rolls that will be unfurled one at a time until the field is complete. After Chiefs head coach Andy Reid complained about Arizona’s field quality following an opening-week matchup with the Cardinals, an NFL spokesperson said this field was grown to be tough enough not only for the big game but also for the pregame, halftime, and postgame festivities.
Confetti rains down on the victorious Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the end of Super Bowl LV in 2021.
Patrick Smith / Getty Images
How Much Confetti Will Fall at State Farm Stadium?
The NFL die-cuts 3,000 pounds of confetti into the shape of the iconic football-shaped sterling silver trophy. That's enough colored confetti to celebrate a win for either team, according to Michael Fiur, executive producer of the Super Bowl postgame show and Lombardi Trophy presentation. The league uses 98 percent recycled materials to make the confetti. Confetti for the losing team is returned to the manufacturer to be recycled into new confetti for next year’s Super Bowl.How Much Will Advertisers Spend On the Super Bowl?
The average cost of a 30-second ad during the Super Bowl this year is $7 million, up $500,000 from last year and the highest ever, according to Betway. That’s about the cost for two highly anticipated beer commercials this year, and it’s money well spent, said Michelob Ultra and Bud Light spokesperson John Heid. One in five Americans who tunes in for the Super Bowl is most excited about the commercials. Michelob Ultra will air a star-studded Caddyshack-inspired Super Bowl spot featuring Serena Williams, Brian Cox, Tony Romo, Alex Morgan, Canelo Alvarez, and Nneka Ogwumike. Bud Light, an iconic Super Bowl advertiser, will air an ad in which actor Miles Teller and his wife, Keleigh Sperry, “achieve peak couple goals" through Bud Light and dancing, Heid said. As Sperry waits on the phone while the annoyingly catchy hold music plays throughout the room, Teller cracks open a Bud Light and starts dancing before his wife joins in. "They light up the room together, dancing in rhythm to the music and taking the otherwise boring moment as an opportunity to enjoy together,” Heid said.
