Why we don't know how much money the Super Bowl could bring to MN

The stadium will host the Super Bowl in 2018.
U.S. Bank Stadium, which cost over $1.6 billion to construct, is scheduled to host Super Bowl LII on Feb. 4, 2018.
Tom Baker for MPR News

Minnesota's Super Bowl host committee on Tuesday rolled out a detailed economic impact study, partly in hopes of bringing in pledges to help fund between $30 and $50 million officials estimate it'll cost.

The Pennsylvania-based firm that did the study, Rockport Analytics, estimates people will spend more than $400 million on the Super Bowl — a figure that includes everything from hotel rooms to meals to cab fare.

But as with any estimate like this, there are some caveats.

For one, the estimates only include gross spending, which leaves out secondary spending and intangibles like media impressions around the world.

Economic impact predictions like this have become controversial in recent years for inflating how much money an event can bring to a city. It happened in the Twin Cities only a couple years ago when the MLB All-Star Game came to Target Field.

MPR News reporter Tim Nelson sifted through the predictions and talked with All Things Considered about what they mean and how they should be interpreted.

Use the audio player above to hear more about Super Bowl economic impact estimates.

Create a More Connected Minnesota

MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.