What’s in a game? Super Bowl’s economic impact doubted

The Super Bowl is coming to South Florida again this year, but as proponents of a $250 million renovation of Dolphin Stadium tackle the issue of public financing, not everyone agrees that hosting the championship is a straightforward economic boon to the region. The proposed stadium renovation is intended to maintain South Florida’s status as a top pick for the Super Bowl year after year. The $500 million figure is often quoted as the region’s potential revenue from the game, but sports economists say it’s not that simple. Some put the game’s value at less than $100 million, and charge that the National Football League purposely inflates the game’s value to get government help for things like stadium renovations.

[Miami Herald]