Most primetime advertising is sold during the “upfront” marketplace, when network executives, sell airtime to advertisers several months before the television season begins, though, the season for sports and the NBA Finals in particular is typically spread out over a yearlong schedule. Some inventory is sold after it’s known which teams will play in the championship series. This year’s matchup between the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers will likely draw higher ad rates because of the teams’ infamous rivalry and the larger media markets in which the games are being played. Figures for 2008 won’t be available until the series is over, but the average cost for a 30-second commercial aired during last year’s Finals was $389,000, lower than commercial costs of other championship games:, Advertising during the 2007 World Series averaged $425,000; the NCAA men’s basketball championship cost businesses an average of $1.3million, and the rate for a Super Bowl XLII spot was a whopping $2.7million. The best of seven series is sure to keep viewers glued to their sets as the Lakers were able to slice into the Celtics lead with an 87-81 victory over visiting Boston yesterday. Kobe Bryant was the standout with 36 points. Game four is tomorrow night in Los Angeles. Advertisers, eager to brand their products through NBA marketing deals, often create exclusive relationships in categories that include apparel, airlines, automotive, malt beverages, casual dining restaurants, and overnight delivery services. During the Finals, most sponsors set up special promotions to capitalize on their products’ increased exposure. For example, T-Mobile, as the official wireless service provider of the NBA, will host a Finals Player of the Game contest. Each night of the series, fans will be prompted to go to NBA.com or to send a text message naming their choice of top athlete. Voting will continue through the end of the fourth quarter when the winner is announced on ABC. While deal terms were not disclosed T-Mobile’s senior manager of sponsorships, Jocelyn English, said, “The NBA Finals are a good fit because [the league’s fans] are who our customers are. They are multi-generational and tech-savvy. We want to reach the 18–30-year-old youth market, as well as the family segment of 30–45-year-olds. Our business goal is to generate awareness and consideration. When it’s time for NBA fans to purchase phones, we hope they’ll consider T-Mobile.” Despite last year’s lowest rated Finals, in which a dismal 9.3 million viewers tuned in to watch the San Antonio Spurs sweep the Cleveland Cavaliers in four games, English said, “We’ve had double-digit increases in [recognition], since we started working with the league in 2005. This translates to sales down the road.” Southwest Airlines, which recently dropped its Super Bowl sponsorship, will also have a Finals presence. “We try to get in front of customers that are [ages] 25–54 and market ourselves in a fun environment. We have a [customized] aircraft called Slam Dunk 1 that will deliver the Larry O’Brien championship trophy and, at a later date, the championship rings,” said Whitney Eichinger, a Southwest spokesman. Advertising during the NBA Finals creates a marriage with a prestigious brand, an established breadwinner, and a provider of international reach.

For ABC, the NBA Finals present an opportunity to tap into a diverse audience with a large disposable income. Owned by The Walt Disney Co., the broadcaster recognized the value of the NBA fan. From 2002 through 2008, it paid $2.4 billion for shared access with ESPN, its sister network, to 15 regular-season games; partial ownership to the playoffs, which could also be seen on TNT; and exclusive rights to the finals.

There are business perils in acquiring high-profile events with expensive price tags. Last year’s championship game, in which the Cleveland Cavaliers were swept by the San Antonio Spurs in four games, was the lowest-rated finals in league history. It scored a 6.2 rating and an 11 share and was watched by only 9.3 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research.

Some analysts say because the matchup was between teams in smaller markets, numbers 17 and 37 respectively, viewership suffered. However, not since Michael Jordan’s last appearance in the 1998 NBA Finals has the series reached a staggering 29 million people.

Doug White, ESPN’s senior director of programming and acquisitions says, “We kept an eye on the [2007] dip, but one year will not keep us from moving forward.” In June 2007, the network extended its contract for $7.4 billion through the 2015-2016 season, and execs are pleased that this year’s matchup is between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics.

The Lakers-Celtics first matchup in the best of seven series was watched by an average of 13,384,000 viewers, according to ABC, an increase of 45% compared to last year. The Lakers-Celtics game, in which the Celtics won 98-88, averaged an 8.7 rating, up 38% over last year’s 6.3 rating. The broadcast “won the night” among all television networks, averaging more homes and viewers than any other show, with ABC winning primetime overall among all networks. The game one match helped the network mark its highest-rated Thursday among men aged 18-49 since September 2005, the network said. Ratings weren’t yet available for the Lakers’ 102-108 loss to the Celtics on Sunday.

The reunion of rivals has created a media bonanza, as the two teams have squared off on 10 different occasions. The first meeting was the 1958-59 championship, and the last face-off was in 1987, the highest-rated NBA Finals during non-Jordan years.

The benefit of playing in the second-largest market and the loyal following of franchise players like the retired Magic Johnson and current standout Kobe Bryant, is otherwise known as the Laker effect—a formidable force that will surely drive this year’s viewership.

In the last decade, when the Lakers played in the championship series, the finals averaged an 11.4 rating, a healthy increase from the average 7.0 rating generated by the Spurs’ last three appearances.

With the ideal matchup of the “Kobe Bryant-led LA Lakers against the Pierce-Garnett-Allen-led Boston Celtics, I’ll guess that the finals will average 13 million viewers,” said Nielsen’s Bill Gorman last month in anticipation of the NBA Finals lineup.

As for the future, “The league is on an upswing, and there are [other] players out there that haven’t even hit their prime but already have great star power,” White adds. “Our new contract will allow us to capitalize on the trend. It is all encompassing and includes digital media, phone, broadband, widgets, etc. We are able to carry content to any platform, taking us beyond the typical linear TV deal.”

The NBA Finals are pretty much Tivo-proof and will allow the network to introduce millions of expected viewers to new company-owned technology platforms. ABC will use the games to promote other programming while enhancing the overall brand, and its ownership of broadcast rights denies competing networks from having access to the property.

Next in the series: Advertising

Despite the setbacks, the show must go on. This year’s Finals will serve as a platform to rebound an otherwise growing brand. Since fan perception is key, the Finals will allow the NBA to stage its biggest performance of the year, marketing its players through personality segments and entertaining audiences with performances from Grammy-winning artists. The sentiment and flash helps the league build affinity while expanding into international markets, capitalizing on digital media, and generating additional revenue.

Global Growth
In reports, Commissioner David Stern has noted that the league is “rather mature domestically” and therefore is focused on the global aspect of the game. It’s anticipated that basketball fans in more than 200 countries will watch, listen, and participate in the Finals, while 280 international media members from 35 countries and territories will cover the Finals. About sixty percent of the 55 million expected to visit NBA.com during the Finals will be individuals living outside the U.S.

It’s a Digital World
Thanks to social networking outlets such as Facebook and MySpace, the tech-savvy youth market will have access to Finals content. It is expected that more than 8 million NBA video highlights will be watched on popular sites including YouTube and Yahoo! Sports and 5 million widgets will be viewed.

Internet discussion and cooler talk is a self-generating marketing machine that easily benefits the league. Heavy Internet traffic often translates into heavier sales of player jerseys and Finals branded merchandise that includes T-shirts, flags, and hats.

Keeping the Lights On
Finals ticket sales are another source of profit for the NBA. It has been reported that 45% of postseason ticket revenue goes to the league, a sharp increase over the 6% it takes in during regular season games. A large portion of the money is used to offset travel expenses that are normally covered by the team.

According to Tad Carper, senior vice president of communications for the Cleveland Cavaliers, 2007 Finals tickets at the Quicken Loans Arena averaged $70 each and ranged anywhere from $18 to $1500 depending on the location of the seat. The venue holds more than 20,000 people and was sold out during both games played in the city.

“[Roughly] 60% of the tickets were allocated to Cavalier season ticket holders who get first crack at purchasing, while the remaining tickets are divided among the league, the opposing team, corporate partners, and a lottery for other fans,” Carper says.

In the secondary market, distributors such as StubHub.com allow ticket holders to sell seats at inflated prices, ultimately making a profit.

A Win-Win
While the league would not release figures on the cost of putting on the championship game, the Finals appear to be  good business for the NBA.

Next in the series: The Network

The ultimate destination for any NBA team is the Finals. The journey is long, but after 82 regular season games, it’s the host cities of the last two teams standing that win. To land the most coveted best-of-seven series of the year pushes a city’s revenue stream to take flight when tourists descend into the market and residents make game-related purchases.

Despite being swept 4-0 by the San Antonio Spurs in 2007, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ first Final’s appearance in franchise history brought Cleveland $4.6 million in revenue. An additional perk was the media exposure which would have cost $60 million to $100 million in paid advertising, according to industry analysts.

“The exposure was invaluable,” says Tamera Brown, vice president of marketing for Positively Cleveland, the city’s tourism organization. “Having the Cleveland skyline and other trademark pictures broadcast on national television brings a lot of attention. As a result, she says, the city saw increases in its leisure tourism and business travel numbers during the latter part of the year.

“The organization is funded by a bed tax [which is a fee added to the room rates of all 4,200 hotels in the city],” Brown added. “This assisted our bottom line, and when we generate more money, we can continue to market the city more.”

The economic windfall of the NBA Finals can also benefit the state by reducing its annual inducement payment to a club. The New Orleans Hornets, for example, have provisions in its lease that require Louisiana to compensate the team if its annual ticket revenue falls short of $38.7 million, a figure that represents roughly 80% of all tickets sold at the arena on a given night.

Because the Hornets got off to a slow start with ticket sales in the beginning of the season, state officials projected their obligation to be $6.3 million before the playoffs. The extra revenue from a Finals appearance would have helped reduce that financial burden.

Blacks in the City
Unlike the Super Bowl or the Olympics, which outsource contracts for numerous services and goods needed during the event, the Finals are self-contained.

The Cavaliers did not seek bids for the Finals, says Tad Carper, senior vice president of communications for the team, but it instead worked with local suppliers on a year-long basis. As a part of that process, the Cavaliers collaborate with the Northern Ohio Minority Business Council to identify new businesses that may be a match for its professional needs, he says, adding that 41% of the full-time Cavaliers and arena staff from the community are non-white. The Cavaliers recently awarded a contract to EPS Plumbing, an African American firm.

Fuel for the Future
The games also help build excitement for the following year, Carper says.

After their 2007 run, the Cavaliers started this season with a 22-game sellout streak and 8% of gross ticket sales, in the form of an admissions tax, went back to city, he says.

He added that this type of contribution to the community is great. “We are business people and like to talk dollars and cents, but people tend to underestimate the impact [a championship game] has on the fiber of life. There is the element of psychology—it generates a [warm] feeling and positive momentum in the city and people tend to feel good about themselves when hosting an event of such magnitude.” That, in itself, can have long-lasting effects.

Next in the five-part series: The League

The popular cable channel, which boasts a majority of viewers between 12 and 24, was struggling in ratings with other demographic groups, especially during commercials. Under Norman’s leadership, the channel instituted a commercial engagement model, airing interstitials and short-form programming between breaks. Advertisers including Procter & Gamble and American Eagle participated in the experiment, which helped rejuvenate the channel’s viewership and bottom line. MTV has averaged 593,000 viewers in the TV season to date, up from 553,000 viewers in the season prior.

Van Toffler, president, MTV Networks Music & Logo Group, said in a statement, “Christina’s mark on our company is indelible, and it’s worth noting that she reinvented herself and our businesses along the way. She grew from a freelance production manager to lead all of the marketing efforts for MTV, including the successful launch of MTV2. In 2002, she was tapped to architect VH1′s rebirth, gave the world Celebreality along with Hip Hop Honors, and shepherded the network to creative and ratings highs. She brought the same talent and vision when she returned to MTV as president, reinventing our big franchise events—The VMAs and The Movie Awards, ramping up new ways for us to partner with advertisers, and working with all of you to create and define the brand vision for MTV that inspired us and helped liberate our thinking.” Under Norman, MTV launched The Hills and A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila, which helped the network pull in a total of 1 million eyeballs during primetime, up from 557,000 last year.

Toffler added, “It pains me to see Christina go but I respect her decision to want to take the time to explore something new after 17 years, which is pretty much impossible to even think about while running the M.”

In an environment where cable networks are using emerging technologies as platforms for their branding efforts, Norman is credited for acquiring the gaming site, Xfire, and the College Media Network for mtvU. She also launched MTVTr3, the first bilingual mobile channel targeting Latino youth.

Norman started her career at MTV Networks as production manager in 1991, working on popular series’ like Beavis and Butt-Head and The Osbournes. In 2004, the Boston University graduate assumed new responsibilities when she was promoted to president of VH1. The fledgling channel was revived with the launch of I Love the 80s and the celebrity reality programs Surreal Life and Flavor of Love. With the addition of these shows, VH1’s primetime audience jumped from 243,000 to 339,000 viewers and it was the most watched year in the network’s history among primetime and total day viewership.

The New England Patriots lost the coin toss for its fourth straight Super Bowl appearance as it did in 2001, 2003, and 2004 victories, however, the 12-point favorites were not able to capture the Vince Lombardi Trophy, which would have made them the first team in 35 years to have a perfect season and legitimize arguments that the dynasty is the best in NFL history.

Quarterback Tom Brady was sacked five times and the Patriot offense was held to 274 yards, giving the Giants, the first NFC wild card team to win the game, its sixth NFL title.

The game was watched by 97.5 million viewers and attended by more than 60,000 ticket holders and 3,500 members of the media.

The NFL’s 2008 Hall of Fame class was also announced during the weekend. The group was selected out of 17 finalist been voted on by committee. The enshrinement ceremony will take place on Aug. 2, 2008 in Canton, Ohio, and will honor the following players:

• Fred Dean (Defensive End) – San Diego Chargers, San Francisco 49ers
• Darrell Green (Cornerback)–Washington Redskins
• Art Monk (Wide Receiver)–Washington Redskins, New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles
• Emmitt Thomas (Cornerback)–Kansas City Chiefs
• Andre Tippett (Linebacker)–New England Patriots
• Gary Zimmerman (Tackle)–Minnesota Vikings and Denver Broncos

In a pre kick-off announcement, Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor was honored as the 2007 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year. Taylor was recognized for providing improved healthcare and after-school literacy programs for kids in South Florida.

Taylor’s favorite charity will receive a $25,000 donation in his name. He joins past recipients including running back LaDainian Tomlinson of the San Diego Chargers and running back Warrick Dunn of the Atlanta Falcons.

Sports reps bank on Super Bowl appearances to show their clients the money; from multimillion-dollar endorsement deals to huge salary increases leveraged in contract negotiations.

According to Steinberg, the Super Bowl “is the premier marketing event in all of professional sports and it offers the opportunity to transform a player into a household name.” Viewed by more than 80 million people around the world, the championship game attracts more than 3,500 journalists from all sectors of print and electronic media including entertainment, business, and lifestyle—even cooking. “This type of coverage starts to penetrate an audience that normally isn’t aware,” he says.

Exposure of such magnitude attracts major brands that want to attach their products and services to athletes that are instantly recognizable. For players, the goal is to create long-term deals in each of the major product categories that include automotive, apparel, beverage, and technology.

Under the NFL umbrella, Guy Troupe, CEO and president of Troupe21 and Associates, makes small-scale deals possible through the annual Player Network Event held days before the game. “It’s designed to teach players the value of networking and helps them get involved with franchises or to [secure] small consulting partnerships with companies such as FedEx, Wingstop, and Marriott Vacations,” he says.

For athletes such as Byron Chamberlain, who won two rings as a tight end with the Denver Broncos, Super Bowl experience provides an upper hand when discussing new contracts. Chamberlain says, “The wins helped me when I signed with the [Minnesota] Vikings. Playing in the Super Bowl gives people the knowledge that you are a leader and it brings a level of credibility.”

Steinberg added, “There’s a greater incentive for aspiring Super Bowl teams to bring on players from winning programs due to the shift in the revenue structure [of the sport]. Until the late 90’s, [profit] was mainly driven by national TV.” Now franchises want A-list talent and personalities because it “helps them attract ancillary revenue sources from luxury boxes and [stadium] naming rights.”

Many teams include performance incentives in player contracts and it’s not unusual for a quarterback to make a six-figure bonus for leading the team to the big game.

The NFL allocates $78,000 to all members of the winning team and $40,000 to the losers.

Chamberlain says, “Another great thing about having Super Bowl experience was helping out the young guys coming up—who wanted to know what it takes to get to the next level. I enjoyed being a mentor. That was worth more than the bonus check; although, that wasn’t bad either.”

Last year’s matchup between the Indianapolis Colts and the Chicago Bears showcased 101 commercials from 44 different brands. For advertisers, the investment of $2.7 million per spot paid off. Nineteen percent of Super Bowl viewers or 26 million went online to get more information about companies that ran commercials and Web traffic for all Super Bowl advertisers went up by more than 50% the day after the game.

CareerBuilder.com had the biggest increase in online hits with a growth rate of 148% and 1.6 million unique visitors the day after the Super Bowl, while Hewlett-Packard had a 74% increase with 1.4 million unique visitors.

Sponsorships are another way to capitalize on the power of the Super Bowl—this option benefits advertisers and the league as well. National Football League Vice President of Corporate Communications Brian McCarthy says, “We look to link ourselves with world-class brands that can help us expand into areas we cannot get into ourselves.”

An example would be Pepsi’s on-pack promotion, giving the NFL exposure in retail outlets such as Wal-Mart, CVS, and other places the beverage is sold. McCarthy says, “We are very selective about the brands we choose to work with and chose only 20 as official sponsors in varying sectors,” including travel (Expedia), technology (IBM), and finance (Bank of America). Contractual specifications on these partnerships were not made available.

For businesses with smaller budgets, there are lesser known opportunities that exist in the areas of event and charity sponsorships during Super Bowl weekend. Below is a partial listing. Check each Website for last minute availability.

*TASTE OF THE NFL (www.tasteofthenfl.com)
One chef and one player from each of the NFL’s team cities serve specialty cuisine to raise money for local and national hunger organizations.

Sponsorship Packages: $10K+
2008 Participating Sponsor: E.J. Gallo Wines – Modesto, CA

“We are providing all of the wines paired with the dishes. We’ll serve our Bridalewood Viognier, which is a blend of honeysuckle and peach blossoms with the NY Jets’ menu of seared salmon and fennel salad. The event helps us reach millennials, who are the largest wine drinking group.” —Kelly Conrad, Spokeswoman, E.J. Gallo Wines

*10^th ANNUAL GRIDIRON GLAMOUR CELEBRITY FASHION SHOW AND BRUNCH (WWW.HOLLYROD.ORG)
Hosted by Rodney & Holly Robinson Peete, these events are to raise money for various nonprofit organization in the game’s host city. Past attendees include: Serena Williams, Michael Strahan, and Rick Fox.

Sponsorship Packages: $10K–$150K
Sponsorship Offerings: Super Bowl tickets/lodging, signage, logo on Website, product placement in gift bags

*21^st ANNUAL SUPER BOWL BREAKFAST (www.superbowlbreakfast.com)
An event that honors an NFL player who best exemplifies outstanding character and leadership in the home—on the field and in the community. Past recipients include Curtis Martin (NY Jets) and the late Reggie White (Green Bay Packers).

Sponsorship Packages: $10K–$50K
2008 Participating Sponsor: Grady Development Associates – Scottsdale, AZ

“We do real estate development for private golf and country clubs in high-end communities. Part of our sponsorship included tables and a company bio in the program. [The breakfast] is a great opportunity to network with men of faith as they give their testimony—how often can a small business be associated with an event as prestigious and high-end as the Super Bowl? Compared to the cost of an advertising spot, it’s really priceless.” —Michael Grady, President, Grady Development Associates

* 7^th ANNUAL PLAYER’S WIVES SUPER BOWL FASHION SHOW (www.offthefieldpwa.com)
A fashion show, auction, and reception featuring the wives and children of current and retired NFL players. The organization utilizes its network and resources to enrich lives of those in the community where they reside. This year’s proceeds will benefit the Phoenix Children’s Hospital and past participants have included actress Wendy Raquel Robinson and former NFL MVP, Emmitt Smith.

Sponsorship Packages: $3K–$50K
Sponsorship Offerings: Table seating & photos with NFL players, product placement in gift bags, signage

Last year’s Indianapolis Colts-Chicago Bears showdown, which marked for the first time two black coaches contending for the title, was watched by 10.1 million blacks, slightly more than the 9.7 that watched the year before.

This kind of track record makes the Super Bowl a low-risk cash cow for any network that airs the game. This year Fox has the honors and will broadcast in 232 countries and territories, in 33 languages.

The rights were secured through a $3.6 billion package deal that also allows Fox to run the National Football Conference (NFC) regular and post-season games from 2006–2011. CBS has claim to the American Football Conference (AFC) games but both networks must make exceptions to two wildcard and all Sunday primetime matches, which go to NBC; Monday Night Football, which is contracted to ESPN, and eight predetermined games, which can only be viewed on the NFL Network. The three major broadcasters alternate Super Bowl privileges every three years.

Lou D’Ermilio, Fox Sport’s senior vice president of media relations says, “This is our third contract with the NFL and we typically begin negations with the league two years before each one expires. We chose the NFC because the markets,” which include New York (Giants), Atlanta (Falcons), and Philadelphia (Eagles), “are bigger and have several of our owned-and-operated [local] stations.”

This translates to dollar and cents for Fox’s bottom line. The network will retain 100% of the $2.7 million generated from each of the 63 30-second spots shown during the Super Bowl. Eleven additional spots, three during the game and eight in half time, are designated for local avails or commercials for small businesses that can only be seen in their respective city or region and are less expensive in price.

D’Ermilio says, “This deal makes good sense for us” for several reasons. First off, emerging forms of technology such as the Nintendo Wii and the iPod are pulling eyeballs away from television sets and increasing numbers of cable channels, are segmenting viewing audiences. This makes it difficult to reach large groups of the coveted 18–49 demographic at one source. As a result, advertisers are going to the Internet and other outlets with their spending dollars.

The Super Bowl is the answer to this problem. Last year’s game had a 42.6 average household rating compared to the 17.3 rating of American Idol, TV’s top-rated regular series show. Advertisers are willing to pay the premium price to expose their products to audiences of such magnitude.

The Super Bowl is also one of the few events that retains 99.6% of its audience during commercials. Last year’s highest-rated advertising spot was the 9:25 p.m. airing of a Hewlett-Packard commercial that generated a 35.1 average household rating and was seen by 99.5 million people.

D’Ermilio says, Super Bowl inventory is not sold at the Upfront, the February showcase where executives unveil TV schedules to potential advertisers, because ratings are consistently high and does not require a guarantee by the network.

Typically, if a show such as Grey’s Anatomy doesn’t meet or exceed projected ratings estimates, the network has to credit the advertiser, usually in the form of additional commercial time.

All of these factors are working for Fox. D’Ermilio says, “Our Super Bowl ads sold earlier than ever before. In the past, we’ve gone into the week of the game with only a handful left available. This year we’re pleased to say we are completely sold out.”

SUPER BOWL RATINGS 2002-2006

*Super Bowl Winner

HIGHEST RATED SUPER BOWLS

*Super Bowl Winner

During the two weeks of festivities held in the Phoenix—Scottsdale area, the average visitor will spend money on four nights of hotel accommodations and a total $1,500 to $2,000 during their stay.

The influx can also boost tourism long term. On average, 70% of those that responded to post Super Bowl surveys said they would consider the host city when planning a company meeting and 20% said they wanted to consider expanding their business into the area.

The process to secure this year’s game started in 2003 when the state of Arizona put in a bid that was reviewed by NFL team owners. According to Mike Kennedy, chair of the Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee, “These 32 people were the jury and we had to convince them to vote for our state over Washington, D.C., which was also contending. We tried to dangle economic incentives and promote the attributes of our community–particularly the climate and the numerous golf courses. The FBR Open, a major PGA Tour event, is the same week as the Super Bowl so we gave the owners access.”

The state also had to supply 20,000 first-class hotel rooms and prove that the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale would be deliverable for the game. Kennedy says, it will cost us “approximately $17 million to fulfill the promises made to the NFL and to actually stage the event.”

Arizona must also comply with the NFL’s Emerging Business Program. It was established in 1994 to educate and provide long-term opportunities for minority and female-owned businesses through procurement, outreach classes, and networking up to, during, and after the Super Bowl.

Any entrepreneur that is certified with an Arizona agency was able to submit an application to be considered as a vendor, supplier, or service provider for the game and its ancillary events.

Ross’ Hooked & Cooked Restaurant was one of the businesses awarded a contract to cater a major tailgate party. Its co-owner, Bari-Ellen Ross says, “A year-and-a-half ago, Party Planners West found us on the NFL’s Emerging Business list. We worked under them [as a subcontractor] during the bidding process. We had to go through a background check, attend trainings, and show we could meet the league’s equipment and transportation mandates.”

Ross was initially turned down for the job because an NFL tasting committee felt that her soul food specialties were not a fit for the Southwestern theme of the event. She asked for 24 hours to create a dish that would work, ultimately crafting a chili dusted shrimp with fiesta rice meal. Ross was able to turn a no into yes and was contracted to serve 1500 portions of the newly designed menu item.

“It’s such a great opportunity that has grown even larger than that,” she says. “The NFL Black Hall of Famers and the Fritz Pollard Alliance found out about us and decided to hold a reception at our restaurant honoring Tony Dungy instead of a fancy hotel. It’s having many residual effects–now I’m almost overwhelmed the whole week [leading up to the game].”

Ross added, “We are looking beyond the Super Bowl; trying to carry everything forward to expand our business long term. “I am one of the few companies where the entire staff is African American and our restaurant is in South Phoenix,” one of the last areas of the city to be developed. “I’m proud that I am also helping to bring these types of events to my neighborhood.”