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Super Bowl XLIX Fun Facts

az super bowl logoSedona AZ (October 29, 2014) – It’s midseason for the NFL and with only 95 days, and counting, until kick-off, here are a few noteworthy reasons Arizona is well-positioned to host Super Bowl XLIX.

ESPN sportscaster Chris Berman recently elevated Arizona’s street cred by declaring, “Arizona is where the Super Bowl should be held a lot.” (Fist bump, Chris.)

Arizona enjoys more than 300 days of sunshine every year and has an average temperature of 71 degrees Fahrenheit in February. (Hike!)

Arizona has more than 400 golf courses, as well as more than 300 arts and entertainment venues.

The state of Arizona is home to more than 40 National Historic Landmarks. (Grand Canyon, anyone?)

Arizona is hosting the Super Bowl for the third time in 19 years. Super Bowl XXX was played at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe on January 28, 1996. The Pittsburgh Steelers lost to the Dallas Cowboys, 27-17.

Since Arizona last hosted the game, Super Bowl XLII, in 2008, Cerreta Candy in Glendale has produced more than 8.8 million pounds of chocolates and candy. (Sweeeet!)

Local First Arizona, the largest local business coalition in North America, is 2,700 businesses strong and aims to give Super Bowl fans a very local Arizona experience. (Get the lowdown at localfirstazdotcom.)

Phoenix has changed dramatically since hosting Super Bowl XLII in 2008. $4 billion has been infused into new downtown development including: 250,000 square feet of new retail, a completed Phoenix Convention Center, 20 miles of light rail, 1,500 new hotel rooms and more than 30 new restaurants.

The largest arts education and entertainment complex in the Southwest is the Mesa Arts Center – winner of the International Venue Excellence Award.

Roosevelt Row in downtown Phoenix was just named among the “10Best: City Art Districts Around the USA,” by USA Today.

Scottsdale is emerging as a culinary destination with more than 600 restaurants, many locally-owned and -operated. With young chefs boasting raw talent and bold ideas and a top-rated Le Cordon Bleu culinary school, Scottsdale was named “No. 2 Foodie City” in the U.S. by Livability.com in 2014. (Get in my belly!)

Must-see attractions in Scottsdale include the organic architecture at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West and the Native American culture at the Heard Museum.

Phoenix is the 6th largest city in the United States. The Greater Phoenix area is home to more recreational open space – nearly 190,000 acres – than any other major metropolis in the United States. South Mountain, which is located in Phoenix is the largest municipal park in America.

Greater Phoenix is the 6th youngest metropolitan region in the country, with a median age of 35.

CULTURE

More than 110 languages and dialects are spoken in the metropolitan Phoenix region.

Arizona has the second largest Native American population in the entire U.S. Twenty-two different federally recognized tribes call Arizona home.

Hispanics account for about 30 percent of the population in Arizona, with a statewide Hispanic population exceeding two million individuals, according to the 2014 Datos: The State of Arizona’s Hispanic Market report.

For the first time in Super Bowl history, social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter are being hosted in Spanish as well as English. (Call me, tweet me, if you wanna reach me! @azsuperbowl) 

SUPER STATS

According to Forbes Magazine, the Super Bowl is the top event brand and generated an estimated $500 million in revenue last season from broadcasting, tickets, the halftime show, concessions and licensing.

The day of Super Bowl is the second highest day of food consumption in the U.S., second only to Thanksgiving.

According to a survey conducted by Harris Interactive Poll, some Americans would miss these life events to attend a Super Bowl game featuring their favorite NFL team:

  • Wedding of close friend/family member – 20%
  • Funeral of a loved one – 19%
  • Birth of their child – 15%

More than 700,000 footballs are produced annually for official NFL use. Seventy-two of them are used for the Super Bowl.

The Super Bowl is the most watched TV show in the U.S. and has more than 160 million viewers in 180 countries.

More than 5,000 media members representing 30 countries are expected to travel to Arizona to cover Super Bowl XLIX. More than eight million stories were posted for Super Bowl XLVIII the week of the event.

Currently the Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee has 47,000 social media followers, and anticipates having more than 70,000 by game day, outpacing previous local Super Bowl host community efforts. Over 25 million tweets were sent during Super Bowl XLVIII in 2014.

100,000 visitors are expected to descend upon the Valley of the Sun for the Super Bowl alone.

The weekend of Super Bowl XLIX is estimated to pump more than $500 million into Arizona’s economy.

Forbes Magazine recently cited the Super Bowl as among the biggest worldwide events for private jet travel. An estimated 5,300 business and private jets will touch down in the Valley of the Sun the week of Super Bowl XLIX.

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport serves more than 42 million passengers a year, which ranks it among the 10 busiest airports in the United States.

The day after the Super Bowl, February 2, will be Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport’s busiest day of the year. The airport will see a 60 percent increase in passengers that day.

According to the NFL, Arizona can expect to see a 40 percent increase in car rentals around the Super Bowl.

SUPER FUN

Over the course of only 33 days, five major sporting events will be held in Arizona leading up to Super Bowl XLIX:

Fiesta Bowl:  Dec. 31, 2014
Cactus Bowl:  Jan. 2, 2015
Pro Bowl: Jan. 25, 2015
Waste Management Phoenix Open: Jan. 26 – Feb. 1, 2015
Super Bowl: Feb. 1, 2015

Fans can enjoy more than a week of football festivities from the Pro Bowl, on Sunday, January 25, through the Super Bowl on Sunday, February 1, 2015.

In 2015 the Pro Bowl will be held on the U.S. mainland for the first time since 2010. It will be only the third time a Pro Bowl and Super Bowl are held in the same location.

New in 2015, Super Bowl Central, a 12-block pedestrian-friendly fan campus in downtown Phoenix, will serve as the hub of Super Bowl activity for fans, sponsors, media and the NFL. It’s estimated to attract one million attendees.

Super Bowl Central will feature football-themed, interactive and experiential activities, a nightly fireworks show, an autograph stage, concert stage, local food trucks, beer and wine gardens, television network broadcast stages and giant Super Bowl Roman numerals for display. (There will be a plethora of selfie backdrops. Extend that arm and say cheese!)

To commemorate the 49th day before Super Bowl XLIX the Host Committee is organizing a 4.9k Fun Run on Saturday, December 13, 2014, at RAWHIDE. Registration is available at www.azsuperbowl.com/4-9k-fun-run. Proceeds benefit the Legacy Grant Program which invests in charitable Arizona organizations.

LASTING LEGACY

Two million dollars will be donated to local non-profits through a partnership between the Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee, its sponsors and the NFL Foundation.

The Host Committee is partnering with the NFL and various partners to be environmentally mindful and “green up” Super Bowl XLIX and Host Committee events. Initiatives include distributing food to local food banks, recycling sports equipment, supporting urban forestry projects and the use of renewable energy. (Go green!)

People from all over the state, even as far away as Australia and New Zealand, have signed up to serve as event volunteers. An anticipated 10,000 volunteers will be called into action. (The bench is deep, coach.)

Volunteers have already pitched in to improve Arizona by planting trees, helping at youth football clinics and making food packages for the homeless. (We have great people eager to lend a hand!)

The Super Bowl is America’s number one watched television program and culminates the NFL football season. Arizona will host its third Super Bowl in 19 years on Sunday, February 1, 2015. Super Bowl XLIX will be played at the University of Phoenix Stadium. For more information, visit www.nfl.com/superbowl/49.

The Pro Bowl is held every year to showcase the best players in the NFL, as voted by the players, coaches and fans. The 2015 Pro Bowl will be played at University of Phoenix Stadium on Sunday, January 25, 2015, the week before Super Bowl XLIX. It will mark the third time in history that the Pro Bowl will be played in the same city as the Super Bowl. For more information, visit www.nfl.com/probowl.

For the best Arizona news and views, read www.SedonaEye.com daily!

For the best Arizona news and views, read www.SedonaEye.com daily!

1 Comment

  1. OZ says:

    TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!

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