State of Play

ON SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2023, the biggest game in U.S. sports will once again be played in metro Phoenix. When Super Bowl LVII kicks off at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, it will be the fourth time in the game’s history that Arizona has hosted what has evolved into a gargantuan sports “mega-event,” one that’s become the envy of nearly every sizeable American city to play host.

And, as it has for dozens of other host cities through the years, the Super Bowl will have a record-breaking impact on the Arizona economy. A study conducted by the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University calculated that the total revenue generated from the last Super Bowl played in Arizona in 2015 amounted to a whopping $719.4 million.

The upcoming game promises to have an even bigger dollar impact. As Arizona Governor Doug Ducey noted earlier this year, “The Super Bowl is a force multiplier for economic development in Arizona.”

But the Super Bowl is a single sporting event, with most of the money it generates occurring over a two-week period of time. What about the impact owing to sports teams that live and play here year in and year out?

Sports Mecca

Debbie Johnson is in a position to know the why, where and what-for regarding sports teams’ contributions to Arizona’s culture and economy. As executive director of the Arizona Office of Tourism, it’s her job to manage the myriad tasks of promoting Arizona as a travel destination. That means heading up the development, implementation and maintenance of programs that help keep the state top-of-mind as a travel destination.

Johnson says the fact that Arizona has become a mecca for sports and sports teams shouldn’t surprise anyone. With its profusion of lifestyle positives, the state is a natural for any number and variety of teams to call home.

“It almost goes without saying, our weather—our climate—is a big draw for sports teams to locate in Arizona,” she says. “But I do also think that the quality of life here—the variety of things you can do—not just for the players themselves, but also for the fans, the visitors, is a really important piece of why they choose Arizona.”

The convenience of travel in and out of the metro Phoenix area is another obvious plus, Johnson says. “The ease of getting here for an event is a big factor. But one thing that people tend to forget is that Arizona is an eclectic place, with people from all around the country coming here to live. It’s helped build a solid fan base for all different kinds of teams…I do think that having that level of diversity in a fan base is really important to our sports economy.”

Of course, another factor Johnson points out is that Arizona has gone to tremendous lengths to ensure that its stadiums are first-rate, with every imaginable convenience of 21st century technology and comfort.