(The Center Square) – The Seattle Seahawks’ Super Bowl run isn’t just a win for the team, but also a win for the Seattle economy, particularly for downtown bars, restaurants and hotels near Lumen Field.
However, economic principles of fungibility suggest that the overall, long-term economic impact on the city may be exaggerated.
There is no doubt that the Seahawks' victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday – which advanced the team to Super Bowl LX against the New England Patriots on Feb. 8 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. – means a genuine, short-term economic boost to Seattle, especially the local hospitality industry.
According to Visit Seattle, hosting National Football League playoff games – which the Seahawks did twice, being the top seed in the National Football Conference – provides a vital economic stimulus during the typically quiet winter season, with hotel occupancy often soaring more than 50% above typical January figures.
The Center Square reached out to several organizations about the Seahawks’ potential championship run and asked if a team making the Super Bowl brings localized, high-impact spending during the playoffs, noting the difference between a short-term economic boost and the more mixed long-term impact.
“Unfortunately, I have absolutely no data to validate whether or not those claims may be true,” Patrick Connor, Washington state director for the National Federation of Independent Business, told The Center Square.
Joey Thompson, public relations manager at Visit Seattle, had a similar take.
“We won’t be able to provide any comment just yet, but we may be able to put together an estimated economic impact for hotels after the fact, when more data is available to us,” he said. “We’ll make sure to circle back!”
Downtown Seattle Association President and CEO Jon Scholes said it will be a little while before any specific economic impact can be quantified.
“The platform we use to measure economic impact of events has a lag time of 10-14 days, so we won’t have the NFC championship metrics for a while,” he explained.
He did point to a Tuesday morning Puget Sound Business Journal piece that includes a link to a 2025 U.S. Chamber of Commerce report with estimates of spending in the markets of last year’s Super Bowl participants, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles.
“For the hometowns of each team, the Chamber estimates the Kansas City metro area could see $123.3 million in spending on the big game, while the Philadelphia metro could see $346.8 million,” the report states.
Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Joe Nguyen also referenced last year's Chamber of Commerce report and Tuesday's Puget Sound Business Journal story in touting the Seahawks' success translating into economic success for Seattle.
"Yes, this is true - a Seahawks Super Bowl appearance will likely deliver a real economic boost for Seattle! The U.S. Chamber of Commerce report from 2025 shows the Super Bowl drove hundreds of millions to more than $1 billion in spending nationwide, with increased demand for food, apparel, hospitality, and entertainment reaching cities like Seattle even when they aren’t hosting (Seattle's estimated benefit in 2025 was $224,636,077)," he said in a statement to The Center Square.
"The Puget Sound Business Journal reports that Seattle retailers and restaurants are already seeing higher sales tied to the Seahawks playoff run, especially in merchandise and game-day traffic. Super Bowl Sunday will likely up that spending across Seattle’s retail and hospitality sectors, including in the next 12 days leading up to the game.”
While Seattle is experiencing an economic surge during playoff games, this is most likely a temporary effect that won’t fundamentally transform the city's overall economy.
While civic boosters and the National Football League often project high economic impact figures, research suggests the true benefit is often a fraction of those, according to researchers from North Caroline State University.
The university’s report, released earlier this month, argues that the Super Bowl's economic impact on host cities is often exaggerated, with benefits frequently falling short of promises while the NFL captures the majority of revenue. While the event drives immense commercial value, local, long-term economic gains are limited, while public costs for infrastructure and security are high.
While the economic impact of the NFL playoffs in Seattle is often substantial, the fungibility of money suggests the total impact might be lower than advertised. Much of this spending is often diverted from other local entertainment rather than entirely new, outside money entering the economy.
A Super Bowl run is about much more than money, Scholes acknowledged.
“A Seahawks march to the Super Bowl just months after the Mariners made a postseason run helps generate a continued sense of optimism and community,” he said. “The civic pride extends beyond the playing field and has the potential to drive, on some level, a positive reputational jolt.”
