LIV Where You Vacation
by Simon Lehrer
MIAMI GARDENS, FL. (2/3/20) –– From the pregame party hosted by Pitbull, to the halftime show featuring two of Latin America’s brightest stars, Super Bowl LIV was a perfect representation of what Miami can offer as a host city for any big event. South Florida has hosted the big game more than any other city, combining for 11 Super Bowls between Hard Rock Stadium and the now-demolished Orange Bowl. While Miami is clearly a top choice for the National Football League, what does the city get in return for hosting America’s biggest sporting event?
First, and most importantly, Miami gets money. How much the city profits, however, is up for debate. While Super Bowl LIII pulled in roughly $400 million for the city of Atlanta, that number grows pretty much every year. The committee in charge of hosting this year’s Super Bowl estimated $500 million in profits for Miami. But according to sports economist Victor Matheson, that number is a major misrepresentation of the big game’s monetary impact, for several reasons.
“When it comes to the economic benefit, you have to decide – what’s going to happen when the Super Bowl is here? What would actually happen during a normal day or normal weekend in Miami?” Matheson asks. “Since Miami is such a good tourist destination in early February anyway, the Super Bowl actually displaces a lot of activity that would have occurred anyway.”
There are several important details which Matheson fails to take into account. First off, Miami-Dade County made several large contributions to help boost their stock as a host city, including a $4 million payout to the Super Bowl Committee. Not included in that number is an additional $1 million contribution which funded hotel rooms at the J.W. Marriott Marquis in Downtown Miami, and the Turnberry resort in Aventura. These two hotels were the central locations for San Francisco and Kansas City players, front office, management, and fans throughout Super Bowl week.
Taxpayers fund a large amount of Super Bowl expenses. The city’s residents paid for the entire security and police presence, along with fulfilling several promises which were made as part of Miami’s official bid to host the event. One of those promises cost taxpayers millions of dollars, despite being for a good cause – the upgrade of youth fields throughout Miami-Dade County.
Traz Powell Stadium, one of the most iconic football fields in South Florida, received a $2 million upgrade. The Miami Dolphins partnered with Nike and the NFL to install new rubber turf, which was unveiled in a ceremony just three days before the Super Bowl.
“A lot of schools [in the area], the fields are not very good,” Dolphins wide receiver Allen Hurns said after the event. “Seeing what Nike did, it meant a lot. Football is big down here.”
The Dolphins, Nike, and the NFL all took home some positive PR from that move. The Miami Hurricanes will likely benefit, as their football team usually plays a spring game at Traz Powell Stadium every year. Lost in all that pizzazz – the Miami-Dade taxpayers made it happen.
In addition, the Dolphins were awarded $4 million as part of a pre-negotiated agreement with owner Stephen Ross. This was seen as Miami’s “reward” for landing the game – which goes right into Ross’s pockets as an incentive to invest in his football team. Maybe this will help the Dolphins climb out of the gutter, but more than likely it will not. Regardless, all $4 million came straight from Miami-Dade taxpayers.
While Miami residents paid more than their share, the benefits may have still outweighed the expense. Between the Super Bowl FanFest in Miami Beach, Super Bowl Live in Bayfront Park, and the various pop-up events throughout the week, nobody was complaining about the city’s opportunity to host a worldwide event.
Ocean Drive was lined with current and former NFL players all week, running from one media obligation to another. Fox Sports and ESPN each had studios set up at Lummus Park, giving fans a free chance to hear some of the league’s biggest superstars reflect on their seasons. On Friday, a stacked lineup of current and former football legends joined that scrum; including Barry Sanders, Russell Wilson, Christian McCaffrey, and the 2019 Heisman Trophy winner, presumptive number one overall pick Joe Burrow.
It was worth it to some Miami residents, not worth it to others, and expensive for everyone. The parties and concerts cost hundreds of dollars to attend, the big game cost $5200 for an awful seat in the upper corner, and Uber prices after the game were out of control. One Uber customer paid more than $300 to get from Hard Rock Stadium back to their hotel in South Beach.
One week and 200,000 people later, Miami proved itself as a strong host city once again. Was it worth all the time, energy, and money the city put in? Decide for yourself. And whether you like it or not, the Super Bowl will probably be back in this vibrant city before we’re even done cleaning up the last one. A very Miami problem to have, following a very Miami Super Bowl.