Yahoo Autos NFL Sells First Million Dollar Super Bowl Suites
Since the return of fans to stadiums and arenas, teams across the domestic pro sports ecosystem have found club seats, suites and luxury boxes to be in high demand. But the interest in premium inventory and hospitality has not been limited to regular season games in local markets. John Langbein (partner, QuintEvents) said the clamoring for upscale experiences at marquee sporting events “has never been higher.” If the sale of NFL’s sale of Super Bowl LVI luxury boxes is a proxy, Langbein’s characterization of the marketplace is on point. Bobby Gallo (vice president of club business development, NFL) said the league has “seen unprecedented demand for Super Bowl suites in L.A. …. We’ve sold multiple Super Bowl suites for over a million dollars to date, and we expect that momentum to only pick up even more as supply becomes almost non-existent and demand continues to increase.”
JWS’ Take: Strong demand for premium seats and suites at the local level does not guarantee comparable interest for tent-pole events—particularly during a pandemic when some people may still be hesitant to travel. The events draw distinctly different audiences. Historically speaking, local businesses buy up much of a team’s available premium seating. But for the Super Bowl, which will be held this Feb. 13, it is larger corporations and high-net-worth individuals (along with some businesses based in the host city) buying suites early. Once the participating teams are known, Gallo said, “There is typically an influx of demand from local partners, suite holders, etc…, for those participating teams.”
More from Sportico.com
Premium Seats and Suites Boom Amid General Admission Ticket Slump
Cowboys Super Bowl Win May Boost Team Revenue 50%, Stephen Jones Says
According to the NFL, $1 million is the most ever paid for a suite at the Super Bowl. The league said the previous high was $750,000 for a box at Super Bowl LIV in Miami, in February 2020.
