Inside the business of hosting the Super Bowl

Summary of Inside the business of hosting the Super Bowl

by WaitWhat

29m•February 19, 2026
Listen to Episode

Overview of Inside the business of hosting the Super Bowl

This Masters of Scale episode (host Jeff Berman) features Zayleen “Z” Jemuhamed, CEO of the Bay Area Host Committee. Z explains how the not‑for‑profit was built to bring major sports events (NBA All‑Star, FIFA World Cup and the Super Bowl) to the Bay Area, the political and logistical complexity of hosting the Super Bowl, and the organizational and innovation choices she made to scale the effort and create regional legacy beyond game day.

Episode metadata

  • Host: Jeff Berman (Masters of Scale, WaitWhat)
  • Guest: Zayleen “Z” Jemuhamed — CEO, Bay Area Host Committee
  • Organization: Bay Area Host Committee (501(c)(6) not‑for‑profit)
  • Events discussed: Super Bowl (Levi’s Stadium), NBA All‑Star 2025, FIFA World Cup 2026 (and other potential future events)
  • Key numbers: seed funding ≈ $1M; projected Super Bowl economic impact ≈ $450–630M (roughly $500M); combined impact across three events ~ $1B.

Key takeaways

  • Hosting a Super Bowl is a multi‑year, high‑visibility, highly political undertaking that requires persistent organizational capacity—not a temporary “pop‑up.”
  • The Host Committee’s primary role is to convene stakeholders (leagues, local governments, transit agencies, public safety, sponsors, community groups) and coordinate connections—sometimes driving work, sometimes handing it off.
  • Success is measured beyond the game: equitable regional distribution of events/benefits, lasting community legacy (fields, facilities), and showcasing local strengths (tech & innovation).
  • Practical leadership lessons: get the right people in the room, be transparent about intent, persist through naysayers, and build organizational muscle for the long term.

Guest background and why she was chosen

  • Z was recruited from LA28 (Olympics organizing committee) where she led monetization/innovation work and built a marketplace for athlete monetization around NIL (name, image, likeness).
  • Her background at Visa and in sport marketing equipped her to understand sponsor ROI, build platforms, and navigate large stakeholder ecosystems.
  • The board that created the Host Committee uniquely includes presidents of all Bay Area pro teams, giving the new organization uncommon regional sports leadership.

How the Bay Area Host Committee formed and scaled

  • Formed as a 501(c)(6) not‑for‑profit to maximize regional economic benefit (it does not take event revenue).
  • Initial seed funding came from the Bay Area professional teams (~$1M) to get the organization started (office, staff, sales/brand/comms needs).
  • Built early partnerships with PR/communications and other agencies to manage the public, political, and operational visibility of the effort.

Political & logistical challenges

  • The Bay Area’s complexity: nine counties with distinct politics—“big brother/little brother” tensions make centralized coordination difficult.
  • Transportation: 29 separate regional transportation agencies needed alignment for event planning and operations.
  • Safety/Security: NFL leads the high‑level plan; local PD, county and federal resources must be integrated locally. Host Committee’s role is to ensure connection points and keep parties coordinated.

Funding, economic impact & legacy focus

  • Super Bowl projected to generate roughly $450–630M for the Bay Area (midpoint ~ $500M).
  • Combined with NBA All‑Star and World Cup, the three events could produce roughly $1B in economic impact.
  • Legacy priorities: intentionally spread events/activities across multiple counties (opening events in San Jose, watch parties in Oakland, media events on the Peninsula), and invest in long‑term community assets (new/refurbished play fields across nine counties).

Innovation & fan experience

  • The Host Committee prioritized making the Super Bowl reflect the Bay Area’s identity as an innovation center:
    • Hosted the first Super Bowl Innovation Summit.
    • Integrated tech experiences into the fan journey (airport holograms of local sports icons, interactive tech exhibits).
  • Z pushed the NFL and partners to include innovation as a core story of the week, not an afterthought.

Z’s experience with NIL and marketplaces (LA28 → AMP)

  • At LA28 Z led innovation around monetization and built a platform (AMP) to connect brands and athletes so athletes could monetize name/image/likeness more directly.
  • Lessons from building that marketplace informed her approach to convening, persistence, and incremental rollout in entrenched systems.

Leadership and operational lessons for founders and operators

  • Convene the right stakeholders early and be explicit about objectives and constraints.
  • Don’t stop at “no”: test, iterate and push forward when you believe in the value proposition—especially in slow‑moving institutions.
  • Design organizations for persistence—maintain relationships and institutional memory rather than dismantling after each event.
  • Use prior, varied experiences (generalist “range”) to solve ambiguous, large‑scale problems.

Notable quotes

  • “I like to build. When someone gives me a blank canvas… I’m attracted to that.”
  • “Our only purpose is for the economic impact and the benefit that comes back to the region. We don't share in any of the revenues from a Super Bowl.”
  • “There are 29 transportation agencies in the Bay Area…I didn’t know that.”
  • “Get the right players in the room, be transparent in what you're trying to achieve—and don't stop if they say no.”

What’s next

  • After a short break post‑Super Bowl, the Host Committee will evaluate organizational structure and pursue future bids (including a bid for the Women’s World Cup and other sports/events). Z emphasizes a desire for more women's events and different types of sports that fit Bay Area lifestyles (cycling, cricket, etc.).

Quick action list (for leaders & organizers)

  • If you’re launching a large, multi‑stakeholder initiative:
    • Map stakeholders and convene them early.
    • Be explicit about mission, constraints, and intended legacy.
    • Create a permanent institutional vehicle (not a one‑off) to retain expertise and relationships.
    • Build small, visible tech/innovation wins that express your region or organization’s identity.
    • Persist through internal and external naysayers—test, iterate, and keep momentum.

This episode is valuable both as a behind‑the‑scenes look at hosting world‑class sporting events and as a practical playbook for scaling complex projects that require political navigation, deep convening, and long‑term legacy planning.