Hospitality company On Location is already planning next year’s Super Bowl, even as it focuses on nailing the experience for Super Bowl LX in California—where this year’s most expensive packages blend access to NFL legends like Marcus Allen and Tim Brown with intimate, exclusive concerts from Sting and The Killers.
That forward-looking mindset has become standard operating procedure at On Location, the NFL’s official hospitality partner, which has been part of the TKO Group portfolio since February. It produces experiences at more than 700 events annually, with packages ranging from simple tickets for less than $1,000 to custom, all-access packages that can cost $300,000 (or more), and is on tap to offer Super Bowl experiences through at least 2036.
“We already have a shell of what our plan is going to be for next year,” says On Location president Paul Caine, speaking to Front Office Sports from Milan, where the company is also offering packages for the Winter Olympics (he flew from Milan to San Francisco for the Super Bowl on Thursday).
“Of course, we’ll need to align with the NFL after this year’s game, and we’ll take learnings from this year and apply those to next year, but we’re always working into the future,” he says.
In addition to the Super Bowl and Winter Olympics, On Location will be providing experiences for the upcoming FIFA men’s World Cup. In September, Caine told FOS the World Cup—which will span 16 stadiums across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico—was like producing “104 Super Bowls in one month.”
The Super Bowl is On Location’s crown jewel, though. It started out as a niche NFL hospitality business in 2010 and was originally called NFL On Location. This year’s offerings go well beyond a seat in the stadium. For $7,000, guests could get a game ticket, pregame tailgate, and live entertainment. A package starting at $17,000 provides access to great seats, chef-curated menus, premium bars, and appearances by NFL legends—plus tickets to a Sting concert Saturday night at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, a 2,600-seat venue. There are also packages featuring tickets to a show from The Killers at the same venue Friday evening.
“Those are two artists that can sell out huge arenas,” Caine says. “There’s nowhere else you’ll be able to see them this weekend. People think, ‘Oh, maybe they’ll show up at a party.’ No, they aren’t playing anywhere else.”
Caine says demand has been particularly strong at the high end this year, thanks in part to the exclusivity being offered. In addition to packages featuring tickets to the concerts, there were packages that allowed fans to play a round of golf at the prestigious Cypress Point Club in Pebble Beach, Calif., and an event at a winery in Napa Valley.
On Location does not disclose how many tickets it has available or the identities of its clients, but Caine says clientele range from members of the general public—many Seahawks and Patriots fans who are excited to watch their teams compete for a Super Bowl trophy—to celebrities, CEOs of major corporations, and more.
Caine notes that not every premium moment is reserved for CEOs or celebrities. Many packages are built around experiences that fans can’t access on their own, including walking on the field during the postgame trophy ceremony and entry to official Super Bowl weekend events.
“It’s not just about going to the Super Bowl,” Caine tells FOS. “It’s about making people feel like they’re part of it.”
