SF could make $440 million off the Super Bowl - even with the game 40 miles away
A banner advertising Super LX hangs just outside The Contemporary Jewish Museum in downtown San Francisco on Friday. The city is starting to see the construction of the big game's various events. (Minh Connors/For the S.F. Chronicle)
The Super Bowl is expected to bring in hundreds of millions of dollars in spending to the Bay Area, with San Francisco receiving the majority of revenue - and a major boost to its image.
A 2024 study by Boston Consulting Group commissioned by the Bay Area's host committee expects $370 million to $630 million in total spending, including up to $440 million in San Francisco.
Though the big game will be played at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara on Feb. 8, numerous events will be held in San Francisco including the five-day Super Bowl Experience at Moscone Center. Fans with tickets will be able to meet players, pose for photos with the Vince Lombardi trophy and play interactive games.
The Palace of Fine Arts will host the NFL Honors award ceremony on Thursday, and multiple concerts will be held at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium.
"The city's pretty hyped up right now," said Anna Marie Presutti, CEO of the San Francisco Travel Association, the city's tourism bureau, which booked the Moscone event. "It's a huge opportunity for us this year, because we are on a world stage."
Construction workers help set a frame to a building in anticipation of Super LX just outside The Contemporary Jewish Museum in downtown San Francisco on Friday. (Minh Connors/For the S.F. Chronicle)
According to bookings site Kayak, as of Jan. 23, Bay Area hotel rates around the Super Bowl are $410 per night, a 127% surge compared to Bay Area hotel prices at the same time last year. However, hotels are 53% cheaper than New Orleans hotel prices during last year's Super Bowl.
"Most hotels have said either sold out or close to it," Presutti said, adding that San Francisco is seeing higher rates than the $410 across the region.
John Anderson, general manager of the 1,362-room San Francisco Marriott Marquis, said his hotel has been fully booked for some time. The hotel is the NFL's base of operations, with around 450 staff arriving, and some staying as long as 40 days.
"It's amazing to watch the behind the scenes, and how much effort this takes to pull off," Anderson said.
Pricing is slightly lower than the JPMorgan health care conference held a few weeks ago, but the Super Bowl rates will still be among the highest of the year, Anderson said.
Phil Spiegel, owner of downtown eatery and event space Holbrooke House, had to scramble after a major advertising agency cancelled its week-long booking at the venue. He's now filling up with a FedEx event on the morning of Super Bowl Sunday, as well as smaller groups throughout the week between 20 and 50 people.
Mike Leslie, left, and Jason Grunwald, members of Sign & Display Local 510, prepare to erect a sign on a building in anticipation of Super LX in downtown San Francisco on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. (Minh Connors/For the S.F. Chronicle)
"It's great. We're going to be really busy," he said. "With all the hotels filled, the restaurant and bar will be filled." The rest of the year is also looking busy, he said, alluding to the city's strong convention calendar.
There will also be a wide array of other events spanning a Lunar New Year celebration in Chinatown on Wednesday, a Monday event at San Jose Convention Center, as well as an Oakland viewing party on the day of the game, plus bashes hosted by Shaq and Guy Fieri at the Cow Palace in Daly City over Super Bowl weekend.
A decade ago, San Francisco also benefitted the most from the Super Bowl, despite the game occurring in the South Bay.
The 2016 event, also at Levi's Stadium, generated an estimated $240 million or more for the local economy, or around $332 million adjusted for inflation. San Francisco received 57% of the revenue, or $137 million, while San Jose gained 12.3% and Santa Clara received 7.2%.
The celebration a decade ago closed down part of the Embarcadero, while this year focuses on the area around Moscone Center. That compresses a lot of the activity and hotel bookings into South of Market, Anderson said.
Alongside dollar spending, hospitality experts expect a boost to San Francisco's reputation as a tourism destination each time the Super Bowl broadcasts footage from the city and aerial shots during the breaks in the game.
Barbara McKnight, an electrician and member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, tapes down exposed outlets in anticipation of Super LX in downtown San Francisco on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. (Minh Connors/For the S.F. Chronicle)
Anderson is optimistic that guests will have a great time and the event will continue to chip away at the city's negative reputation coming out of the pandemic.
"There's nothing better to get over the negative impression than to … just get people to visit the city and see for themselves," Anderson said.
Presutti also expects a smooth experience, similar to the city's successful hosting of the NBA All Star Game almost exactly a year ago. The FIFA World Cup will also have six matches at Levi's Stadium later this year, in another boost to the Bay Area's tourism sector.
The biggest downside, she said, will be traffic congestion. Numerous street closures began Friday and will eventually encompass Moscone Center, Grace Cathedral, the Ferry Building and the former Hibernia Bank Building, with disruptions expected to last 11 days.
