At the first Super Bowl in 1967, some 63,000 people gathered at the Los Angeles Coliseum to watch the Green Bay Packers take on the Kansas City Chiefs. To do so, they paid between $6 and $12 (now, about $57 to $115), The New York Times reported.
That’s a far cry from the $4,000 minimum fans are expected to spend for tickets to Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans.
In the nearly 60 years since the Super Bowl’s debut, the NFL has grown into a multibillion-dollar business, with nearly $13 billion in revenue in 2023; and commissioner Roger Goodell has made his plans to see the league reach $25 billion by 2027 well known.
The Super Bowl is, of course, the pinnacle of the season’s efforts, drawing more than 123 million viewers last year, per Nielsen, and serving as a driving force for sales across a number of industries, including advertising, hospitality, and tourism.
Whether you’re rooting for Philadelphia or Kansas City (or just excited about the Kendrick Lamar halftime concert), here are 10 surprising stats behind Super Bowl LIX.
More than 70,000 fans are expected to watch Super Bowl LIX at Caesars Superdome.
The stadium has a capacity of 73,208, but an estimated 125,000 people are expected to visit New Orleans over the weekend to enjoy the festivities and spend an estimated $200 million, per the US Chamber of Commerce.
Many fans will have spent upward of $3,000 for a ticket to the game.
The cheapest tickets for Super Bowl LIX, as of Thursday night, cost around $3,000.
Meanwhile, personal-finance outlet WalletHub reported that the average price of a ticket on the resale market is $11,067, up 17% from 2024.
Oh, and anyone you see in a suite likely shelled out between $750,000 and $2 million, Sports Illustrated reported.
NOLA tourists are projected to spend an average of $297 on food and drinks over four days.
Some menu items fans in New Orleans can expect to enjoy include seafood nachos, alligator sausage, and a selection of po’ boys.
On Super Bowl Sunday, a projected $300 million will be spent on beer across the US.
An additional $517 million will be spent on soft drinks and another $226 million on whiskey, WalletHub reported.
Fans will eat 1.45 billion chicken wings.
After Thanksgiving, the Super Bowl has the highest levels of food consumption in the US.
In addition to all those chicken wings, 11.2 million pounds of potato chips are expected to be eaten, 10 million pounds of ribs will be sold, as well as 304 million pounds of avocados for guacamole, WalletHub reported.
$1.7 billion is expected to be wagered on the game, a 30% increase from 2024.
WalletHub reported that 68 million American adults are expected to bet on the big game.
A 30-second ad during the game costs $7 million.
Since 2006, Anheuser-Busch has spent more than $695 million on Super Bowl advertising, and for good reason; WalletHub reported that ads during the Super Bowl are 20 times more effective at driving brand perceptions than other TV ads.
As a result, in 2024, CBS made $695 million in ad revenue.
Every member of the winning team will get a $171,000 bonus.
Every member of the losing team will also receive a $96,000 bonus, per the NFL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement.
That’s an increase from last year’s $164,000 winning bonus and $89,000 consolation.
It costs Tiffany & Co. $50,000 to make the Vince Lombardi Trophy every year.
The sterling silver trophy has been presented to Super Bowl champions since the beginning.
But while it costs $50,000 to make, it’s widely reported that the trophy is only valued at $10,000.
Super Bowl LIX is projected to have a $500 million impact on New Orleans.
From hotels and restaurants to local businesses, the Super Bowl is expected to have a huge economic impact on the city in its 11th time hosting the big game.
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