This is Buying Sideline — the only newsletter that focuses solely on the business of sports hospitality.
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In the email today:
🦘 Australia is Experiencing the Mass Appeal of NFL
Half of the crowd at the first NFL game ever in Australia on Thursday is expected to be from interstate or overseas with 10,000 fans presumed from the U.S. alone. Visit Victoria is already experiencing their best September for hotel demand ever.
39% increase in hotel room nights
Fans from 35+ countries have purchased a ticket
50% of the game crowd is expected to be from outside Victoria
OnLocation, the NFL’s official hospitality provider, turned an 8,000 mile journey into a six-night vacation for Rams and 49ers fans and the NFL is also re-programming the Melbourne Cricket Ground’s premium inventory offering hospitality of their own.
And it's not only wealthy Americans buying six-night stays. Sportsnet Holidays is the NFL's official Game Break Partner in Australia/New Zealand. They’re packaging a ticket, 1-2 hotel nights, kickoff drinks, and exclusive experiences starting at $999/pp with several already sold out.
Melbourne is guaranteed to host two games between 2026-29, and Roger Goodell mentioned there is already competition from other cities to host the third.
Our Take: The NFL’s international strategy is becoming a tourism business. The game ticket is increasingly the anchor that the NFL builds premium experiences and tourism around. This is the furthest an American NFL fan has ever had to travel for a game and the league is taking advantage of that 8,000 mile journey monetizing six nights in Australia through hotels, experiences, restaurants, excursions, fan festivals, and more. The more destination-driven the game becomes, the more opportunities there are to monetize everything surrounding the ticket. Going forward it’ll be up to NFL fans how much they want the Shield to own the entirety of their journey.
Meanwhile the city of Victoria captures a record number of hotel nights and economic impact that should dwarf the A$10-15 million they reportedly spent on the game.
Here’s four comparable NFL International Game economic-impact figures:
Now compare Melbourne where the stadium is much larger, half of the attendees are traveling in, the hotel demand, and premium experiences that shoulder the game and I wouldn’t be surprised if we’re looking at well over A$100M when the economic impact report is released.
⚽️ Man City’s New Hospitality Connects Hotel to Etihad Stadium
Manchester City and the Radisson Blu on Monday opened a 401-room hotel connected to Etihad Stadium. The new Medlock Hotel has 10 pitch-view rooms that seat 12 people and provide one of the most creative and malleable hospitality experiences we’ve seen.
Padded seats on a private balcony
Inclusive beers, wines, spirits and non-alcoholic options
Curated pan-Asian themed menu
Dedicated waiter or waitress for your room
Access three hours before kick-off and one hour post-match
Inclusive matchday program
Later phases of the project includes restaurants and bars, a new Man City museum, stadium roof walk, zip line, and a covered event/activation space capable of holding roughly 3,000 people.
The Co-Op Live, England’s largest indoor live entertainment arena, also calls the grounds home.
Our Take: We’ve seen this before in the North America. In Toronto you can reserve a room in the Marriott City Centre that overlooks a Blue Jays game. The Marriott has even partnered with brands like Rawlings to create a premium experience, but the hotel chain can only offer the guest so much.
In the case of Man City, their partnership with Radisson allows them to have more control of the fan experience. The club can adorn the room with memorabilia, send a legend to the suite for a meet and greet, send up a kit, or give them group tickets to a show or sports museum. Not to mention the most important part, a premium padded seat directly inside Etihad Stadium.
The room converts to a traditional hotel room on non-matchday events for fans who want to sleep above the Etihad while also being a space to entertain clients and hold company dinners.
🍿 Aramark says NFL Fans Want More Premium
With the dawn of a new NFL season, Aramark is ramping up its premium hospitality packages for its eight partner venues this fall.
The company will roll out chef-curated menu items, enhanced beverage options, and fan experiences with Aramark adding focus on local inspiration.
Here’s what Steelers fans will be able to get inside the 1933 Club presented by Heinz this Sunday:
A speakeasy-inspired atmosphere w/ mixologist for personalized cocktails
Food items like Black N’ Gold Chicken and Waffle and Yinzer Wrap
Premium cocktails like the Immaculate Refresher in a Steelers souvenir cup
"We strive to elevate every portion of a fan's gameday experience, but the one sector fans are particularly excited about, and one we put an extra emphasis on this season, is our premium spaces," said Alison Birdwell, CEO of Aramark Sports + Entertainment.
Aramark’s upgraded menu rollouts across its NFL partnership portfolio serve as a nod to local city culture and franchise history. Menu rollouts that notably also further develop franchise food programs as an extension of team IP.
Similarly-inspired items will debut this month in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Philadelphia and Kansas City, among others.
🏎️ F1 Hospitality News + Notes
After 45 years F1 is back in Madrid and The MADRING circuit is going all out offering 20,000 VIP/hospitality seats at this week’s race, the most inventory for a European F1 race. The average VIP ticket price is ~€3,000 and 80,000 visitors are expected from outside Madrid.
Hard Rock secured Miami Grand Prix title rights. The expanded agreement will include a revamp of the signature Hard Rock Beach Club before the 2027 event.
🔗 Sports Hospitality Links
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See you on the field.