Super Bowl takes a hit from the recession. Economy had an effect.

[madfloridian]

Local news has been annoyingly filled with Super Bowl hype the last week. You would never suspect that under the surface there are problems stemming from the economy..

The economy tackles the Super Bowl


Chris O'Meara / Associated Press
Not all of the sponsors’ tables are full at the Super Bowl XLIII media center in Tampa, Fla.
Fancy parties, celebrity events -- the Super Bowl is famous for excess. It, too, is feeling the economic crunch.

Reporting from Tampa, Fla. -- Ed Palladini has run a limousine company in Tampa for 27 years, accumulating a fleet of more than a dozen luxury cars, ranging from a basic Cadillac sedan to a plush Mercedes minibus that seats 14. Even now, during Super Bowl week, when Palladini's business should be booked solid, some of those beauties will not leave the lot.

..."I've got a car that hasn't moved in six months, but I've had to keep the insurance on it for the Super Bowl," he said. "All your big executives, they aren't coming like they did when the Super Bowl was here in 2001. And if they are, they want Town Cars or SUVs or 15-passenger vans. They don't want to be seen in stretch limousines."

There are more empty hotel rooms than usual.

In the days leading to the game, there were still hotel rooms available in Tampa and surrounding areas, although most required a minimum stay of three or four nights. Among the cities of Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater, there are roughly 46,000 rooms of lodging, ranging from large hotels to bed-and-breakfast inns.

"I did hear from a couple hotels that they saw more room requests from individual fans this year, when they normally would have expected more group and corporate business," said Steve Hayes, executive vice president of Tampa Bay & Co., the area's convention and visitors bureau.

I did not realize that many big companies pulled their ads that were scheduled to air.

From the Palm Beach Post:

Super Bowl is taking a hit

General Motors and FedEx pulled their TV ads, even though NBC lowered the price. Playboy canceled its annual party. Almost 200 fewer media credentials were issued.

"When I think of the NFL, I think of recession-proof," Cardinals lineman Elliot Vallejo said last week. "But that's not true anymore."

Used to be everywhere you looked around a Super Bowl town, all you could see was advertising. There were commercial booths at every turn. The headquarters hotel and media center looked like giant trade shows. Now you can look pretty much everywhere and actually see things. Such as empty tables at local restaurants and vacant hotel rooms downtown.

StubHub does have a sign on the mezzanine level at Raymond James Stadium. The nationwide ticket broker also had more than 3,000 seats for sale, as of midweek. They were getting less expensive by the minute.

In spite of it, tickets are "still pricey - about 15,000 at a record $1,000 apiece, and 53,000 at $800 each - another 1,000 cost $500 - down from last year's low of $700, the first cut in Super Bowl history."

[BlooInBloo]

1. Water is still wet, too.

[madfloridian]

3. And your posts are still cryptic.

I see no reason to keep on that way. I am very tired of it. Bye now.

[virgogal]

2. This seems like good news to me. Maybe someday I can afford the Superbowl.

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. My son told me today

that he wants to go to the Super Bowl at least once before he dies.

[virgogal]

5. Tell him if he really wants to do it,just save,save,save and do it.

My sons are all in their forties and one has been to a Superbowl but his real dream is The World Cup. I give him the same advise as I gave you.

Life is short.

I still regret that I didn't see Sinatra live when he was in his prime.

[AwakeAtLast]

6. He can stay with us - Indianapolis has the Super Bowl in 2012

I have no connection to tickets, though. Sorry!

:hi:



edit: I must be tired if I misspelled "Indianapolis" :P

[proud2BlibKansan]

7. LOL I will tell him

[madfloridian]

8. That's a nice gesture from you.

:hi:

[rucky]

9. Only bankers can afford skybox seats these days. n/t