As the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots prepare to clash in Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium, a new report from Bank of America Institute confirms what many cities already feel on the ground: the National Football League isn’t just a cultural powerhouse—it's a formidable economic engine.

Fans Are Back — And They're Spending

Big games have a way of turning stadiums into temporary economic engines. They pull in fans, wallets, and opportunity all at once. Fresh data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis shows just how powerful that pull has become.

As of November 2025, consumer spending on attending spectator sports was more than 25% higher than in 2019, roughly matching the post-pandemic rebound seen across live entertainment.

According to Bank of America Institute report, credit card spending in the zip codes surrounding NFL stadiums rises by 77% on home game days, compared to non-game days.

The study by David Michael Tinsley, senior economist at the Institute, analyzed daily internal card transaction data from 2017 to 2025 to track spending behavior on game days across all NFL divisions.

The biggest average spending lift occurred in AFC South stadiums—home to the Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars—while NFC East locations like Philadelphia and Dallas saw more modest, though still significant, increases.

But it’s not just ticket holders driving the action. Bars and restaurants see major upticks as fans gather to watch games, a trend amplified in winter when outdoor stadiums limit attendance.

Even so, cold-weather teams like the Buffalo Bills and Green Bay Packers still saw average spending bumps of 68%.

Food, lodging and parking were the most affected categories, with increases nearly double those of other spending types.

The Chiefs Lead the Economic League

When it comes to team-specific impacts, the Kansas City Chiefs top the table.

Their home games generated the largest average spending gains, driven by multiple Super Bowl appearances in the 2020s—and perhaps boosted further by pop icon Taylor Swift's association with the team.

"Perhaps this should not come as a surprise given their success — appearing in four out of five Super Bowls so far this decade," Tinsley said.

Other high-impact franchises include the Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings and Dallas Cowboys, whose stadium zones each saw game-day spending surges well over 100%.

The Super Bowl Multiplier

While regular games fuel major boosts, the Super Bowl has an even larger effect.

Bank of America found an additional 7% median spending lift on top of the game-day average in five of the last nine Super Bowls.

The 2024 Super Bowl in Las Vegas delivered especially strong results, with "spending in bars and liquor stores…up over 40%" during the weekend, particularly among out-of-town visitors.

This year's Super Bowl, set for February 8 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, is expected to offer a repeat performance. During typical San Francisco 49ers home games, the area sees a 70% surge in card activity, according to the report.

And when the city hosted the Super Bowl in 2016, it welcomed more than 1.1 million visitors, resulting in significant increases in hotel occupancy and sales tax revenue.

The economic uplift extends to small businesses. According to the 2025 Bank of America Business Owner Report, 58% of business owners adjusted operations around cultural events like NFL games, and "over half of them experienced increased sales", while one-third saw a jump in foot traffic.

Tinsley emphasized this ripple effect: "Even small surges in spending tied to major events can ripple meaningfully through local economies."

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