Super Bowl has a giant economic impact on Arizona. Most of it never comes from fans
The Super Bowl is all about numbers. And not just as a way to measure critical items like the points scored and yards accumulated by the two participating teams.
Numbers, for example, also tell the story of the game’s massive reach and audience. The Super Bowl is annually the most-watched television program in the Unites States, attracting more than 160 million viewers. Globally, it will be carried in 180 countries and in 25 languages. In a world of fragmented media consumption, these numbers are simply incredible.
Locally, the event will be measured by the numbers of out-of-town visitors that will flock to Phoenix – which will be in the hundreds of thousands – and an economic impact for our state into the hundreds of millions.
While that week-of-game spending is a huge boost for our local businesses and communities, an even more massive tsunami of economic impact will come from seeds being planted this week that will burst into life after the game has left town.
And that number will be impossible to ignore or overstate.
20 companies chose to do business here
Next Sunday’s game between the Eagles and Chiefs will be the National Football League’s 57th Super Bowl, a numeral the Romans would know as LVII.
But the number 70 – or LXX to the Romans – represents a very significant part of the week’s festivities, too. It reflects the number of top national and international business executives participating in the Super Bowl CEO Forum being hosted by the Arizona Commerce Authority. These influential decision-makers will hear how Arizona has proactively positioned itself to cultivate business success and why it is the ideal spot for their future commercial and employment expansion.
Another view:All Arizona gets from the Super Bowl is a headache
When this CEO Forum took place in 2015 surrounding Super Bowl LVIX, 20 of the participating companies chose to do business in Arizona. And just days after the game, Apple – one of the most innovative companies in the history of American commerce – announced a $2 billion investment into its Mesa command center for global networks.
Opportunities like this are no accident but rather part of a calculated effort to continually evolve and diversify our statewide economy. And like the Super Bowl, it is truly a team effort. While former Gov. Doug Ducey quarterbacked the CEO Forum in 2015, current Gov. Katie Hobbs is stepping in to lead this one. But there are many players leading the way, too, and our state is lucky to have them.
Super Bowl is our chance to show our best
Out of towners coming to the Valley for the Super Bowl and Waste Management Open will immediately recognize our region’s natural beauty, ideal “winter” weather and exceptional quality of life. But they will also experience a vibrant, thriving and innovative community much different than what existed just a decade or two ago.
The sunshine and warmth come naturally. But Arizona’s status as one of the nation’s best states in which to do business did not simply occur on its own.
It happened in large part because of the vision of pro-business leaders and a talented and educated workforce. And it has changed our state into a place that encourages innovation, promotes growth and rewards those who possess the talent and work ethic to succeed.
A particular example of the commercial metamorphosis that has taken place in Arizona is its transformation into a semiconductor hub. Since 2020, Arizona leads the nation in semiconductor industry investment ($60 billion) and supplier announcements (12); its total of 7,500 new jobs in this field trails only New York.
And in 2025, Phoenix will host SEMICON West, the premier microelectronics exhibition and conference, marking the first time in 50 years that the prestigious event will be held outside of California.
Again, these numbers – and many others – tell an amazing story.
And like the Super Bowl, it is a story whose best and final chapters are still unwritten.
Michael Bidwill is owner of the Arizona Cardinals, vice chairman of the Arizona Commerce Authority and a board member of the Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee. On Twitter: @azcommerce.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Super Bowl economic impact comes long after fans leave Arizona
