Apple, Other Tech Companies Give $2 Million Each to Cover Taxpayer Costs of Super Bowl 50 - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Apple, Other Tech Companies Give $2 Million Each to Cover Taxpayer Costs of Super Bowl 50

by

super_bowl_50_logo_white Apple, along with fellow tech companies Intel, Yahoo, and Google, has given $2 million in cash and other services to offset taxpayer costs of hosting Super Bowl 50 in the Bay Area, reports the San Jose Mercury News (via AppleInsider). In exchange for their donations, each company will receive their own private Super Bowl suite and publicity around the time of the game in 2016.

In total, the Bay Area Super Bowl Host Committee announced that it had raised $40 million for Super Bowl 50. The game will be held in the newly constructed Levi's Stadium, which be the home of the San Francisco 49ers this year after taking two years and $1.3 billion to build. The stadium is also just 13 miles away from Apple's headquarters at 1 Infinite Loop in Cupertino, California.

It is unknown exactly how Apple will plan to use its Super Bowl publicity, but the company has had quite the history running Super Bowl advertisements in the past and could choose to run one in 2016. Apple's "1984" television ad for the Macintosh was among the most iconic in TV advertising history, as the company ran its last dedicated Super Bowl commercial in 1999.

Since then, a number of rumors throughout the years have pointed to Apple running more commercials alongside the Super Bowl, although the company has not done so. Apple was rumored to be working on a commercial for this past year's Super Bowl, but instead chose to partner with U2 and Bank of America for a Product (RED) promotion.

Top Rated Comments

rdlink Avatar
162 months ago
I'm sorry to say that, but this is one of the reasons why others think Americans are shallow and dumb. You need to see lots of scoring to get excited. This diminishes everything else that's going on in the game. You don't see the skill that goes into defending, or breaking that solid defense. You don't see the philosophy and tactics that teams have in their DNAs. You miss all the excitement and disappointment a single goal causes, or the fear or hope that a goal may happen. You have scores and scores and more scores that is kind of boring for almost anyone outside of US. At the end, one team scores more than the other to win the game. It's almost guaranteed that there won't be any kind of excitement that is comparable to a single goal in a real football game. A football fan remembers a crucial save by a goalkeeper 30-50 years after it happened because a single save maybe really, really important. All you will remember will be statistics made by faceless athletes.

It's also disturbing to see families let their sons do this "sport" knowing that it will make them heavy (I'm trying to be polite here) and cause them a brain damage. I find American football one of the reasons why Americans get large and heavy instead of getting fit, strong and nimble. In real football you don't see any overweight players and they are certainly not allowed to hit each other on the head.

And I don't understand why Silicon Valley companies that need a smart generation of Americans to design and use their smart devices promote something that makes young men stupid.

Also...
Image (http://betsportsnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/football_vs_soccer_xlarge.jpeg)

Good points. But here's a third viewpoint: They're both boring sports, played by a bunch of entitled prima donnas, and watched by overzealous whack-os.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
keysofanxiety Avatar
162 months ago
World Cup is bigger...bla bla bla...Futbol is better than football...bla bla bla. This debate pops up every four years. Sick of it.
It's not really much of a debate, it's fact. American sports are practically only watched/followed in America. The football (soccer) World Cup is watched globally.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
162 months ago
Good on them to pay the extra costs. Football as a private enterprise should not have to rely on public financing for their stadiums or other activities. Lord knows they make enough money.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
keysofanxiety Avatar
162 months ago
I don't care if its a debate or not. Football may not be as loved internationally, but it is a much larger business than soccer. Close to $10B in revenue.

It really, really isn't a much larger business. Simply the top 3 football teams in the world (clubs, not countries) exceed that $10B revenue by themselves ...

... not to mention transfer costs for players regularly exceed £20 million. I don't really want to have this argument but I fear you've been misinformed.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
162 months ago
So if the Super Bowl is held in the following cities, here are the possible items to offset the cost of hosting:

• Detroit - A 1973 Ford Pinto, a Temptations Greatest Hits CD and a bag of weed.

• Miami - 3000 gallons of sunscreen and a brick of cocaine.

• Meadowlands - Snookie

• Oakland - Bulletproof jackets for all attendees
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
162 months ago
So if the Super Bowl is held in the following cities, here are the possible items to offset the cost of hosting:

• Detroit - A 1973 Ford Pinto, a Temptations Greatest Hits CD and a bag of weed.

• Miami - 3000 gallons of sunscreen and a brick of cocaine.

• Meadowlands - Snookie

• Oakland - Bulletproof jackets for all attendees

MacRumors pls bring back downvote button
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone Duo Display Cracking

Apple Alerts Stores to iPhone Duo's Display Cracking Issue

Friday October 30, 2026 3:20 pm PDT by
In a memo shared with Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers this week, and later obtained by MacRumors, Apple provided technicians with guidance on how to diagnose and address the iPhone Duo's inner display cracking issue. If a customer reports the issue, Apple advised technicians to inspect the iPhone Duo and repair or replace it in accordance with their standard procedures....
Everything New Your iPhone Can Do on iOS 27

14 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 27.2

Friday October 30, 2026 12:42 pm PDT by
Apple released iOS 27.2 on October 26, bringing enhancements to Siri AI, adding Suggestions in Messages, and sneaking in a string of smaller additions across Photos, Podcasts, Games, Apple TV, and FaceTime. iOS 27.2 is available to download to your device now via Settings ➝ General ➝ Software Update. Note that some features may not be available in all regions or on all iPhone models....
Pinched iPad Mini

Apple Avoids Showing Pinched Fingers on iPad Mini Page in South Korea

Thursday October 29, 2026 11:52 am PDT by
In the U.S. and most other countries, Apple's website shows the new iPad mini being held by pinched fingers, but this is not the case in South Korea. The new iPad mini shown with pinched fingers on Apple's website in the U.S. On its South Korean website, Apple simply shows an image of the iPad mini on its own. The new iPad mini shown without pinched fingers on Apple's website in South Korea ...
Latest Stories
Apple Launching Five New Products This Friday
Apple Launching Five New Products This Friday
26 minutes ago
Nearly Every M5 MacBook Air Now $200 Off on Amazon
Nearly Every M5 MacBook Air Now $200 Off on Amazon
16 hours ago
Apple's HomeView Ships With Six-Month-Old Software
Apple's HomeView Ships With Six-Month-Old Software
18 hours ago
Three New iPads Rumored to Launch in First Half of 2027
Three New iPads Rumored to Launch in First Half of 2027
18 hours ago
Apple Offers Steps to Fix Daylight Saving Time Bug on Apple Watch
Apple Offers Steps to Fix Daylight Saving Time Bug on Apple Watch
22 hours ago
Apple Watch Ultra 4 Hits All-Time Low Price With Amazon's $99 Discount
Apple Watch Ultra 4 Hits All-Time Low Price With Amazon's $99 Discount
2 days ago
Reminder: Apple's Big Discount on Beats 360 Ear Cushions Ends Today
Reminder: Apple's Big Discount on Beats 360 Ear Cushions Ends Today
2 days ago
Here's a New Tour of Apple's HomeView Software
Here's a New Tour of Apple's HomeView Software
2 days ago
Apple Reveals New iPad Mini's Battery Capacity
Apple Reveals New iPad Mini's Battery Capacity
2 days ago
Top Stories: Apple's Big MacBook Pro, iPad mini and iMac Updates
Top Stories: Apple's Big MacBook Pro, iPad mini and iMac Updates
2 days ago
'Pluribus' Season 2 Reportedly Starts Production Today
'Pluribus' Season 2 Reportedly Starts Production Today
2 days ago
iPhone 18 Pro Sales Surge in China, Offsetting Decline in U.S. and Japan
iPhone 18 Pro Sales Surge in China, Offsetting Decline in U.S. and Japan
2 days ago
HomeView Software 27.2: Wallpapers, Control Center, and More
HomeView Software 27.2: Wallpapers, Control Center, and More
2 days ago
Apple Alerts Stores to iPhone Duo's Display Cracking Issue
Apple Alerts Stores to iPhone Duo's Display Cracking Issue
2 days ago
iOS 27.3 Will Enable These Apple Intelligence Features in China
iOS 27.3 Will Enable These Apple Intelligence Features in China
2 days ago
Apple Says iOS 27.3 Beta Coming Next Week
Apple Says iOS 27.3 Beta Coming Next Week
2 days ago
Apple's Flash Storage Suppliers Are Finally 'Getting Their Revenge'
Apple's Flash Storage Suppliers Are Finally 'Getting Their Revenge'
3 days ago
14 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 27.2
14 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 27.2
3 days ago
iPhone Duo Review: One Week Later
iPhone Duo Review: One Week Later
3 days ago
Samsung Mocks iPhone Duo Display Cracks in New Ad Campaign
Samsung Mocks iPhone Duo Display Cracks in New Ad Campaign
3 days ago
The MacRumors Show: OLED MacBook Pro, iPad Mini 8, and More
The MacRumors Show: OLED MacBook Pro, iPad Mini 8, and More
3 days ago
MacBook Pro With Touch Display: 15 More Details Revealed
MacBook Pro With Touch Display: 15 More Details Revealed
3 days ago
Russia Places Apple on State Surveillance Registry
Russia Places Apple on State Surveillance Registry
3 days ago
Halloween Weekend Brings Discounts on Apple Accessories and Pre-Orders
Halloween Weekend Brings Discounts on Apple Accessories and Pre-Orders
3 days ago
Apple Has Released More Than 25 New Products in the Past Two Months
Apple Has Released More Than 25 New Products in the Past Two Months
3 days ago
Local Code Launches as Free, Private AI Assistant Tool for Mac
Local Code Launches as Free, Private AI Assistant Tool for Mac
3 days ago
Apple Acquires Ascend.io
Apple Acquires Ascend.io
3 days ago
HomePod Mini 2 Launches Today: All the New Features
HomePod Mini 2 Launches Today: All the New Features
3 days ago
AirTag 2 4-Pack Drops to New Low Price of $69.99
AirTag 2 4-Pack Drops to New Low Price of $69.99
3 days ago
Rian Johnson's iPhone Camera App Goes Viral
Rian Johnson's iPhone Camera App Goes Viral
3 days ago