The city of Minneapolis and its soon-to-be $1 billion Minnesota Vikings stadium have won the bid to host Super Bowl 52 in 2018. What does that mean? Essentially, the NFL expects to be able to do whatever it wants in Minneapolis and have almost all of its absurd demands met.
The Star Tribune recently released 153 pages of previously-confidential demands that the NFL has for cities that are hosting the Super Bowl. The league expects free presidential suites in high-end hotels surrounding the stadium, free billboards, free police escorts for team owners, and all revenue from Super Bowl tickets. Those requirements only scratch the surface.
If the NFL needs new turf to be installed so they can paint the appropriate logos on the Vikings’ field, the city is expected to foot the bill. Hotels where Super Bowl teams will be staying are required to televise the NFL Network for at least a year prior to the big game. Don’t have enough cell phone service? Minneapolis will be required to build new towers if need be. ATMs inside the new Vikings stadium will also have to be sponsored by NFL preferred credit card companies. Those that aren’t are to be covered or removed before the Super Bowl.
For further evidence that this is much more than just a game, the NFL has also requested that two “top quality bowling venues” be reserved at no cost to the league for its annual Super Bowl Celebrity Bowling Classic. And, of course, the NFL has an insane amount of advertising requirements that we won’t even bother getting into.
Those who find this intriguing should definitely check out the entire document. It gives you a great understanding of the type of moneymaker the Super Bowl truly is.
