Beyond What Money Can Buy: A Look Inside The Most Exclusive Super Bowl Experience
Time will tell which two NFL teams square off in Super Bowl LII in a mere four weeks, but NFL fans do not have to wait to begin planning the most exclusive Super Bowl experience. Utilizing NFL On Location Experiences, NFL fans have the opportunity to curate a Super Bowl experience ranging from staying at a participating team’s hotel to making snow angels in the post-game confetti on U.S. Bank Stadium’s field.
For over a decade, the NFL has sold exclusive packages to the Super Bowl through its once in-house hospitality department. In 2015 the NFL licensed this function to RedBird Capital Partners, Bruin Sports Capital and 32 Equity, which were later joined in ownership by the Carlyle Group to create On Location Experiences. With operations spanning the travel, sport and entertainment industries and 500 people working for the company, On Location Experiences was able to bolster what the NFL could provide fans in terms of exclusive and one-of-a-kind Super Bowl experiences.
Super Bowl LII presents the most expansive offerings for fans, with NFL On Location Experiences offering seven levels of packages. Each package features tickets to the big game, with NFL On Location Experiences being the only source of verified tickets with exact seat locations directly from the NFL. All attendees receive access to a pre-game party featuring a menu curated by four-time James Beard Award winning chef and TV personality, Andrew Zimmern, where they will also mingle with NFL legends including, Jim Kelly, Marcus Allen and Hines Ward and more. The pre-game party will be capped off with a performance by four-time Grammy award winning artist, Kelly Clarkson.
“Everybody wants access. A lot of what we’ve been focusing on with the NFL is how to provide more access to the best entertainment events out there. We will be producing more events around Super Bowl LII weekend to give fans in Minnesota and nationally the opportunity to have full access,” NFL On Location Experiences CEO, John Collins, told RULING SPORTS.
Focused on expanding access, last Super Bowl, NFL On Location Experiences began offering fans the opportunity to purchase access to numerous exclusive Super Bowl weekend parties previously attended only by celebrities and top-ranking corporate executives. NFL On Location Experiences works with the events’ inventory partners to purchase un-used tickets to sell, giving fans opportunities they likely otherwise wouldn’t have.
“We are providing fans who want to be at the center of all of the phenomenal things that are happening around the Super Bowl the opportunity to be there,” Collins said.
For fans desiring even more, NFL On Location Experiences has the capability to book all travel logistic needs.
“We will totally program out a fan’s weekend experience. Last year for instance, Patriots fans were able to go on a same-day charter from Foxboro to Houston, get off of the airplane, go by the Patriots team bus then to the convention center inside of the Super Bowl’s security perimeter for a pre-game Patriots party, which was attended by members of club ownership and their families. At the game, fans had their choice of any seat they wanted, were able to go on the field for the post-game trophy ceremony and attend a post-game party, which luckily for them, was their team’s. Afterward, they got on a charter flight filled with their team’s fans and were back home in time for work on Monday,” Collins explained.
What’s the cost of all of this? Packages start at $6,299 and exceed $13,500.
Are they selling?
Like hotcakes.
“Last year we sold over 10,000 packages. Every year it has grown leaps and bounds as we get deeper into the experience. We have more capabilities and a deeper understanding of what the fan wants. We recently acquired Prime Sport, a ticketing and experiential event company. It will expand our capabilities to over 150 events across sports and music. We will entertain more than 200,000 guests by producing 13 different events across the ten days of Super Bowl LII in Minneapolis. We’ll be well north of selling 10,000 packages this year,” Collins said.
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