The biggest game on the American sporting calendar the Super Bowl. The game may only last a couple of hours but the build-up, literally goes on for weeks. And the amount of money made, and spent on this game is mind-numbing.
The friendly greetings come rolling in the second you step off the plane. But, while New Orleans extends one hand to say hello, -- the other, slips into your pocket.
Make no mistake --this is a time for merchants, restaurants, and hotels to separate Super Bowl fans from their money.
And, everywhere you look more and more NFL - Super Bowl merchandise for sale. Fans can easily easily spend 10-thousand dollars this weekend.
But, in many ways that is peanuts.
While the game goes on inside the city’s Super Dome -- You won’t believe what the soft drink giant Pepsi is spending for its 10-year relationship with the National Football League --and the right to sponsor the halftime show, with musical sensation Beyonce.
Published reports say Pepsi is spending nearly 90-million dollars a year in a deal with the NFL.
So they must be banking on some kind of big return on investment considering 100-million people in the U-S alone will watch the big game.
For New Orleans -based Pigeon catering -- Super Bowl business is a godsend. This weekend alone the company is doing 800-thousand dollars in business.
They are making meter after meter of mouth-watering po’boy sandwiches --as well as other regional specialities. Feeding both the players on the two teams and a host of heavy hitting corporate clients.