The Super Bowl is one of the biggest sporting events of the year. Logistically, the event sets unimagined standards – and then Taylor Swift is coming too.
When the Kansas City Chiefs meet the San Francisco 49ers on the night from Sunday to Monday, the sports world will look to Las Vegas. The Super Bowl, the season finale of the American football league NFL, is taking place in the “City of Sin” this year. Like every year, the event is intended to be a spectacle. Everything is thrown into the balance financially and logistically.
According to reports, the turf was transported to Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas last week in 30 refrigerated trucks, in the middle of the desert. In total, around 1,000 trucks are said to have transported equipment to the event location since the beginning of the year. But the end of the flagpole has not yet been reached.
According to the report, in the week before the game, 300 more trucks will transport material to Las Vegas – per day, mind you. It is said that 500 of them alone transport utensils for the legendary halftime show. This year the rapper Usher will be performing, and his stage will have to be specially designed. It must not damage the lawn.
The teams also need material. Your equipment is brought to the desert in trucks and planes. A total of 135 tons of equipment is said to be involved.
There are also parking spaces for aircraft. According to a report in the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”, the 400 places have already been taken. There are only a few parking spaces left for private aircraft. In total, more than 1,000 private jet landings are expected in the three days before the start of the event. Many of the planes are allowed to land, but after unloading the guests they would have to head to another airport, for example the one in Palm Springs, around 350 kilometers away.
“Taylor Swift effect” ensures high ratings
One guest who shouldn’t be worried about this is Taylor Swift. The world star is giving a concert in Tokyo the day before the game. But from there the 34-year-old, who just received her fourth Grammy for her album “Midnights,” will jet straight to Las Vegas. Her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, plays for the Chiefs.
NFL boss Roger Goodell even spoke of a “Taylor Swift effect”. He couldn’t deny that the pop star had boosted the league’s ratings. “It creates a buzz, it creates another group of young fans – especially young women – who are interested in seeing, ‘Why is she going to this game? Why is she interested in this game?'” Goodell emphasized, referring to Swift as the “best of the best.” “So it’s just positive that she’s coming to the NFL games, that she’s a part of it,” the official said.
6,000 media representatives from 26 countries
The fact that the Super Bowl is a mega event with maximum media interest is not just due to Taylor Swift. The game also captivates fans around the world in terms of sport. Therefore, over 6,000 press representatives from 26 countries are expected in Las Vegas.
The number of visitors on site will increase dramatically. “Usually 300,000 people come to the Super Bowl in Vegas every year,” said organizing committee boss Sam Joffray of the “Süddeutsche”. “We’re adding another 125,000 this year because the game is taking place here.” The city is used to spectacle.
Tickets and commercials cost horrendous amounts of money
If you don’t want to miss the game and show, you’ll have to dig deep into your pockets. The cheapest ticket for the game on the official “Ticketmaster” platform currently costs $6,000. The best seat costs a hefty $45,000. Expect to pay at least $10,000 for a ticket on the secondary market.
Meanwhile, it’s not just the viewers who have to pay a lot. Various companies also pay considerable sums of money to grab one of the coveted commercial spots at the Super Bowl. The industry publication “Variety” wrote in November 2023 that the broadcaster CBS was charging between 6.5 and 7 million euros for a 30-second clip. Last year the Super Bowl was still on the Fox channel. He is said to have earned around $600 million from the commercials.