International visitors to the Super Bowl have increased significantly, with a 10% rise in viewers from 2023 to 2024, and the 2026 event drawing approximately 90,000 visitors to the Bay Area, including those from abroad. Despite this, Brand USA, the official destination marketing organization, is unable to directly use the Super Bowl in its marketing campaigns.
The challenge lies in the restrictions on marketing directly through events like the Super Bowl, even though such events can substantially boost tourism. In particular, destination marketing organizations (DMOs) often find themselves limited to marketing the destination around these events rather than promoting the events themselves.
Brand USA’s efforts are indicative of this limitation. Although they acknowledge the potential of the NFL and its calendar to attract international tourists, they face prohibitions on explicitly incorporating “Super Bowl” in their promotional texts. This restriction highlights an ongoing issue for DMOs that wish to leverage major sporting events to increase international visitation without infringing on trademarked properties.
Reporting based on coverage first published by skift.com.