The Houston Super Bowl Host Committee released a finalized economic report Thursday, showing multiple facets and highlights the Greater Houston area experienced as a result of hosting Super Bowl LI in February. In total, the Greater Houston area saw $347 million in new spending from hosting Super Bowl LI, according to a study conducted by Rockport Analytics. “The Super Bowl was really about the platform that it gives you to be able to promote Houston as a great place to live, work and play, and also to create a community dialogue to improve people’s lives one experience at a time,” HSBHC Chairman Ric Campo said. Throughout various Super Bowl festivities, the Touchdown Houston charitable fund raised more than $4 million, which was distributed to 78 Houston-based nonprofits, HSBHC President and CEO Sallie Sargent said. “The Super Bowl is certainly much bigger than the game itself,” Sargent said. “One of the things that we’re very proud of is the fact that many of our programs leave long term, lasting legacies for the community of Houston.” Here are more economic statistics from Super Bowl LI:
  • 10,000 volunteers, from ages 18-82, from every Greater Houston area ZIP code represented Houston during the Super Bowl.
  • 3 million people visited Discovery Green in the 10 days leading up to Super Bowl LI, which is typically how much traffic the park sees in one year.
  • 109,500 people rode the MetroRail Feb. 4.
  • 150,000 out-of-town visitors came to Houston for Super Bowl LI.
  • Super Bowl LI was the most-watched Super Bowl event, with 172 million viewers within 70 percent of homes across the U.S.
  • 118 million broadcast views and 80 million online views made Lady Gaga’s halftime performance the most watched musical event of all time