SF Chronicle: Recession Hits Super Bowl Parties

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Super Bowl party circuit hit hard by recession
Susan Sward, Chronicle Staff Writer

Sunday, February 1, 2009


The corporate glitter surrounding the Super Bowl will sparkle less than normal this year, dulled by a receding economy and an advancing austerity.

Specifically, some of the boom-boom dazzle events one usually sees in the run-up to the big game have vanished or been whittled down.

Playboy, which has seen its stock plummet in the past year, won't be throwing its usual bash before today's Steelers-Cardinals game. Sports Illustrated, which had its ad revenue drop 6 percent from 2007 to 2008, isn't putting on its gala either.

A year ago, Playboy hosted an invitation-only bowl party in Phoenix attended by 2,500 guests and 22 Playboy bunnies at the Rawhide Pavilion. The demand to be part of that scene was so high that there were unauthorized sales of tickets for $2,000 to $3,000.

Sports Illustrated had its gathering for 800 at Club Barcelona in Scottsdale. Forty-two athletes from different sports attended. Some signed autographs, and the Roots, a hip-hop band from Philadelphia, performed. ........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/02/01/MNU715J3T8.DTL&type=business&tsp=1