MarketScale Sports & Entertainment 02/08/19: A Super Aftermath for the Super Bowl

Coming off of Super Bowl 53, it’s safe to say that even with a slow game and mixed reviews on the halftime performance, the impact of the Super Bowl remains for months, even years after the stadium lights shut off. We wanted to look into that aftermath from three different angles. We’ll explore the costs versus the benefits for a city to host a Super Bowl, the impact of low Super Bowl ratings on networks, and we’ll dissect the Spongebob Squarepants petitions, its snub at the half-time show and how it prompted the Dallas Stars to cash in on the hype authentically.

THE ECONOMICS BEHIND HOSTING THE SUPER BOWL IN YOUR CITY

Every city seems to dream and hope for the chance at hosting the Super Bowl or the Olympics, but is it ever an economic win? What are the economic benefits and detriments? Does one outweigh the other? To help us get to the bottom of it, MarketScale Host Elmer Guardado sits down with Allen Sanderson from the University of Chicago Department of Economics.

Sanderson breaks down why he thinks it’s almost never beneficial for a host city and he explains some of the actual economics that aren’t being considered. “The actual money that is generated and stays in Atlanta, or in Glendale or whatever city you want to pick, is pretty small,” Sanderson said.

OPINION: DO LOW RATINGS AT THE SUPER BOWL MATTER?

Next piece is from our very own MarketScale Host Scott Sidway. An avid sports aficionado and North Texas radio personality, he stays on top of both the sports world and the broadcast world, and nothing screams both like the world of ratings. After Super Bowl 53, the ratings weren’t kind; what we saw were the lowest the NFL has seen for the big game in 10 years. Should broadcast networks be concerned, or is this just a blip on the radar? Sidway breaks down the factors as to why the ratings likely dropped, and gets a feel for how these low ratings actually affect the broadcasting networks who host the games.

THE DALLAS STARS FIND SWEET VICTORY WITH SPONGEBOB

Finally, we have to acknowledge the Spongebob Squarepants meme at the Super Bowl. If you weren’t aware of the million-plus person petition to get Sweet Victory, an original song from the Nickelodeon cartoon on the Super Bowl halftime show, you must have not been paying much attention. It rocked the internet, and for many was the highlight in-between some lackluster performances. Spongebob made his appearance, though only briefly, leaving the petition signers feeling unfulfilled.

Though it didn’t get the love it was chasing after at the Bowl, the Dallas Stars saw a missed opportunity, and wanted to give the fans a chance to pay homage to the yellow sponge and his late creator. Jason Danby, Senior Director of Brand Presentation, Production & Promotions for the Dallas Stars, joined us on the podcast to discuss playing Sweet Victory at their recent home games, the decision-making process for playing the song, what the fan response was, the marketing wins or potential risks, and why decisions like that are so important for team branding and exposure.

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