Report: Glendale Likely Lost Money On Super Bowl XLIX
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Glendale likely lost between about $1.25 million and $579,000 hosting Super Bowl XLIX, according to a recent city analysis.
Glendale spent less than it had budgeted to host the Super Bowl, but only one out of four financial analyses showed the city made money, the report said. The most favorable analysis concluded Glendale made about $13,000 from the game. Public safety and transportation were the city's biggest costs.
Glendale Mayor Jerry Weiers predicted a financial loss before the game. He said now he thinks the city did well overall.
MORE: ASU: Super Bowl XLIX Generated $719 Million Impact For Metro Phoenix
“I would have a Super Bowl every year if we could,” Weiers said. “I’m looking for a way to make it where we make money off it, or at least don’t lose money.”
Upsides to hosting the Super Bowl, which include branding, outsider spending and increased future tourism, are hard to measure in dollars, according to the report.
Glendale got additional value from being the center of the sports world, said Assistant City Manager Tom Duensing. The city chose to take on costs so the Valley could benefit from being on an international stage, he said.
“This was a regional effort,” Duensing said. “I think Glendale stepped up.”
An Arizona State University report concluded Super Bowl XLIX had a $720 million economic impact on the entire state.
