Stefan Borson drops ‘extraordinary’ Tottenham verdict after Super Bowl whispers emerge
Tottenham are continuing to cash in on commercial opportunities following their partnership with the NFL.
American football has grown in popularity across Europe over the past two decades, with the first NFL regular season game played outside of North America taking place at Wembley Stadium in 2007.
That saw the New York Giants beat the Miami Dolphins 13-10 in London, where games have now been played for 18 years and will continue for at least the next five years.
Tottenham hosted their first NFL game just months after their 62,850-capacity stadium opened in 2019 when the Oakland Raiders secured a 24-21 victory over the Chicago Bears.
Now, there’s talk over whether the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium could be in line to host the Super Bowl in the next few years.
Tottenham could bank significant windfall from hosting the Super Bowl
Former Man City financial adviser Stefan Borson exclusively told Football Insider Tottenham could bank a significant amount of money from hosting the Super Bowl due to the “extraordinary” ticket prices.
Forbes estimated Super Bowl LVIII generated an economic impact for Las Vegas of $1billion (£740m), with the Kansas City Chiefs beating the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in February 2024.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider about Tottenham potentially hosting the Super Bowl, Borson said: “You would think it would be worth a lot of money.
“I don’t know how the arrangement works and what the financials look like, whether effectively the NFL are paying a rental fee for the stadium or whether there’s some kind of revenue share.
“If there’s some kind of revenue share, then you’re really into a very substantial upside for Tottenham. I suspect there isn’t a revenue share model, but that’s going to be the big differentiator because clearly the ticket prices for a Super Bowl are extraordinary.
“If you compare it to any European event, the ticket prices are just off the scale, and look where the Champions League final is rapidly approaching crazy money. I mean, there are numerous tickets that are €500 (£434) per ticket without any hospitality in these things, but you can pay 10 times or more at the Super Bowl.”
Former Everton CEO Keith Wyness told Football Insider Tottenham could earn £1bn from hosting the Super Bowl.
Tottenham could face issue hosting the Super Bowl
However, Reach plc’s NFL reporter Charlie Wilson told Football Insider Tottenham are unlikely to host the Super Bowl in the next few years due to its importance in the US.
That is something Borson agrees with.
“I still think it would be a surprise to have a London Super Bowl,” said Borson.
“It’s one thing the teams agreeing to push the game via effectively league games. It’s quite something else to take the largest and most significant live event in America to a different country.
“That feels like something that would get a lot of push back.”
The latest Super Bowl showdown in February drew in a crowd of more than 120 million television viewers in the US alone when the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 in New Orleans.
For more Tottenham and exclusive news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.