How Sports Event Data Supercharges Demand Forecasting for U.S. Businesses
The Economic Power of Sporting Events
$19 billion. That’s how much Americans spent across restaurants, transportation, and accommodation during the 2025 Super Bowl. Businesses across the U.S., from nationwide retailers to restaurant chains, experience major demand spikes during high-impact sporting events like the Super Bowl.
Beyond entertainment, sporting events are powerful economic engines, and many businesses thrive off these social gatherings. Live sports trigger massive consumer behavior shifts that drive spending across travel, hospitality and restaurant sectors.
Sporting Events Drive Demand Surges Across Industries
There are thousands of sports events annually that drive consumer behavior. PredictHQ covers over 400,000 sports events annually across all countries representing 50+ sporting disciplines and over 1,500 leagues and competitions.By leveraging live sports event data, businesses can forecast demand more accurately and maximize revenue opportunities. The ripple effect live sports events have on various industries is evident:
Live sports events spark a surge in travel, driving up demand for hotels, short-term rentals, and resorts.
Local restaurants and food vendors see a boom as fans flood the area - often requiring additional staff and stock to keep up.
As cities gear up to welcome hordes of sports enthusiasts, transportation networks and on-demand transportation businesses undergo preparation to ensure seamless connectivity and efficient movement of people.
Sports events are breaking barriers and impacting economies in ways that extend far beyond the stadium. In this article, we delve into the major economic impact of sports events and how they are expected to continue to impact local economies across the US in 2025.
Top 5 Sport Events Predicted to Drive Major Consumer Spending in 2025
The Super Bowl is just once a year, but fortunately the calendar is filled with live sports events that are expected to drive millions in consumer spending.
Our data shows five upcoming future sports events with a significant Predicted Event Spend:
🎾The US Open Tennis from Monday, August 18, 2025 through Sunday, September 7, 2025, with 1.05 million attendees spending $883M+ over 21 days
🏎️The United States Grand Prix from Friday, October 17, 2025 through Sunday, October 19, 2025, with 432,000 attendees spending $239M+ over 3 days
🏃The Chicago Marathon on Sunday, October 12, 2025, with 1.7 million attendees spending $171M
🏌️The Ryder Cup from Tuesday, September 23, 2025 through Sunday, September 28, 2025, with 270,000 attendees spending $156M over 6 days
🚗The Indianapolis 500 from Tuesday, May 13, 2025 through Sunday, May 25, 2025, with 1.05 million attendees spending $884M over 13 days
Local hotels, restaurants, and ground-based transportation within proximity to these events will see a noticeable surge in demand leading up to, during, and just after these events. Those who know ahead of time just how much excess spending to expect at each of their business locations on which days have the power to position themselves to tap into the massive economic boost predicted for these events.
Why Localized Sports Event Data Matters
While mega-events like the Super Bowl and US Open command headlines, mid-sized and regional sports events also deliver significant localized demand spikes. When these events overlap, their cumulative impact compounds, leading to surges in:
Room occupancy rates
Restaurant reservations and takeout orders
Rideshare requests and fuel demand
Without visibility into these overlapping events, businesses may miss key opportunities to adjust prices, staff schedules, and marketing campaigns.
Forecasting Consumer Spending with Predicted Event Spend
Predicted Event Spend is a powerful data signal that helps predict the financial impact of events before they occur.t reveals where and when consumer spending will peak in advance, allowing businesses to:
Generate smarter and improved demand forecasting
Create great customer experiences with perfect inventory levels and correct staffing
Grow revenue with effective dynamic pricing in preparation for demand surges
Customers with access to this predictive analytics feature are executing profitable, data-driven strategies.
TV Viewership of Live Sports Events Fuels Nationwide Demand
It’s not just in-person games that drive demand—live televised sports events, especially NFL football, lead to massive spikes in food delivery and grocery orders across the U.S.
Team rivalries and game-day gatherings fuel a predictable surge in consumer behavior as fans stock up on pizza, wings, drinks, and snacks before kickoff. The 2024/2025 season, NFL games averaged over 17.5 million viewers across TV and digital platforms with each game representing a surge in spending both local and nationwide.
To help businesses stay ahead, PredictHQ provides county-level live predicted viewership forecasts for 7 major U.S. sports leagues, including:
NFL
NBA
NHL
MLB
MLS
NCAA Division 1 Men’s Basketball
NCAA Division 1 Football
Quick-service restaurants and food delivery platforms use these forecasts to optimize staffing, inventory, and marketing. Whether it’s prepping more pizza dough or scheduling extra drivers, knowing where and when demand will spike is a game-changer.
Proven Accuracy for Demand Forecasting and Demand Planning
PredictHQ’s viewership prediction model has achieved 96–99% accuracy in forecasting Super Bowl viewership over the past five years. Businesses can confidently rely on our data to:
Adjust operations (like delivery routes) in real time
Planning promotions around sporting games
Prepare staffing ahead of time
Stay ahead of market trends in 2025 and beyond
Events are a powerful economic catalyst, generating billions of dollars in spending each year. Whether it be the epic performances of Lady Gaga, or highly-contested matchups on the court or field – their influence is not limited to the venue or sports arena but extends to hotels, restaurants, transportation services, and various other sectors.
Join the ranks of leading companies using intelligent event data and predicted event spend to:
Improve demand forecasting
Thrive in the dynamic landscape of consumer demand
Capture their share of the sports-driven economic pie.
Start forecasting with confidence. Book a demo with our team to learn more →
