In the first two Super Bowls, there was a number of cost cutting measures taken to minimize costs. Although it was not uncommon for the Big Game to end up with a residual budget surplus, the numbers on both occasions were fairly balanced. A large part of this came from the fact that each team made out fairly well in the form of bonuses, and the fans also enjoyed an end to the season on which they could spend their money on other things.
It appears that the Super Bowl 2020 extravaganza will be looking to save as much as possible for the viewers. After all, if the game is televised on cable TV, as has been the case in the past, then the broadcasters need to do everything they can to make as much money as possible from the event.
For the first Super Bowl in 2020, the number of games that were televised on cable networks has increased significantly. Those extra games on cable mean that the producers can now reduce production costs by reducing production time, or by pulling out parts of the production that are unnecessary.
The NFL is unlikely to go into such a drastic reduction in production costs, and so, if the teams have any significant bonus savings, then those may also be cut back. As for game day, the NFL has reduced the number of hotels and stadiums that host games over the years, as has the addition of ticketing and logistics companies that take care of everything from ticket sales to bar closing.
The Super Bowl is the most commercially successful sports game of the year, and it will almost certainly draw the largest TV audience of the season. Thus, in order to retain the largest share of that audience, and in order to maximize the impact of the game, the NFL is going to cut back, but not in a dramatic way.
It is an expensive job to put together a Super Bowl, and it may be necessary to use some of that money to keep the numbers down on the first two editions. In other words, the costs could go up on the fourth game, but not on the others.
If you are one of the lucky Super Bowls attendees, then this might be a great idea. Just know that this is not a complete do-over.
