What are the Logistics Behind Super Bowl LX?

The Super Bowl is the annual championship game of the National Football League (NFL) within the US. 

As the Super Bowl LX nears, years worth of logistics planning is reaching its peak.

From transportation providers and NFL coordination, to sponsors and vendors, to the half-time show, every part of the event is carefully slotted into place.

Forming new supply chains

The Super Bowl serves as the final game of every NFL season, having done so since 1966. It is watched by fans around the world, with people tuning in to see the infamous half-time shows. It is one of the most watched sporting events, with headlining the event being seen as one of the main honours in music. This year, it will feature the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks, when Sunday 8 February marks the 60th game. 

Due to the high viewership, commercial airtime during the broadcast is at its most expensive, with businesses developing high-quality advertisements specifically for the broadcast. Aside from Thanksgiving, this event also marks the second-largest for US food consumption, with the high purchasing of hot dogs, nachos and beer. On average, a fan will spend US$58 on food and drinks during the game.

The event features a range of packages to be purchased, including 'All-Inclusive Hotel Packages', 'Corporate Experiences' and 'ELITE Packages'. Through this, fans can experience hospitality featuring a range of culinary offerings, transportation and luxury hotels. As a result, the event generates more than US$1bn in total economic impact every year. 

This includes direct revenue to the NHL surpassing US$600m due to broadcasting, tickets and sponsorships. The host cities will see US$300-500m direct boost, due to tourists travelling to see the game. This year, it is hosted in Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

“What I really push with cities is that sometimes they’re focused on the wrong things,” explains Zaileen Janmohamed, President and CEO of the Bay Area Host Committee.

“It’s actually not about what the other person gets. It’s what you are doing with what’s coming to your market.

“The economic impact is great, but the societal impact of residents feeling proud that really cool stuff is happening here in this amazing place they live, to show that off to the world — that’s why we do it.”

As a result, the planning that goes in to an event of this scale consists of years. 

A well-oiled machine

Logistical planning for the Super Bowl takes several years to plan, with coordination taking place between the NFL, host city, transportation providers and vendors. Hundreds of heavy-duty trucks are required for the event, transporting the playing field using temperature-controlled trucks to ensure it stays in excellent condition, or ensuring the half-time show has its correct props, lighting and sound systems.

As well as this, both teams playing have large amounts of equipment to transport across the country. To get the teams and their families to the game, fleets of jets may be working behind the scenes to make the transportation as seamless as possible.

“For the Super Bowl, we’re expecting each team to have four to six large aircraft,” explains Noah Daneman, of San Jose Mineta International Airport. 

Hundreds of trucks also bring concessions to the stadium, ensuring there is enough food and drinks to keep those watching the game in person well-fed. At home, viewers gather with friends and family, hosting Super Bowl watching parties, having spent hundreds of dollars on food, drink, ice and other hosting needs. 

The amount of co-ordination needed to ensure these supply chains remain undisturbed is major, with technology playing a crucial role in managing complex logistics. As logistics companies are increasingly aware of risk mitigation alongside sustainability, route optimisation tools are a much-needed addition of transportation management systems. 

There is also a reliance on warehouse management systems to maintain efficient inventory management, as well as real-time visibility tools to make sure delivery meets its deadlines. 

Moreover, with the NHL's increasing focus on sustainability measures, new partnerships are being formed and new suppliers are entering the game. At the start of the football season, the 49ers - home team of Levi Stadium - started a new initiative with PepsiCo to implement reusable cups throughout the stadium.

The closed-loop system includes the cleaning and efficient re-using of each cup and prevented more than 32,000 disposable cups ending up as waste in landfills during the 2025/26 season. 

With every step of the game being carefully planned, thousands of links need to be made, to ensure the Super Bowl occurs without any delay or disaster. As hundreds of vendors get signed up to sell food and hundreds of trucks flock to Santa Clara, everything is planned with full efficiency.

All supply chain, sustainability, Scope 3 and net zero leaders should attend:

• Procurement and Supply Chain LIVE: The Net Zero Summit - QEII Centre, London, March 4-5
• Procurement and Supply Chain LIVE: The US Summit - Navy Pier, Chicago, April 21-22

Co-located with Sustainability LIVE, these events brings together CSCOs, CSOs and senior decision-makers at a moment when sustainability, supply chains and commercial performance are increasingly interconnected.

Tickets can be booked online today for The Net Zero Summit and The US Summit. Group discounts available.