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US: New Orleans short-term rental hosts are seeking to capitalise on demand from American football fans this weekend as Super Bowl LIX gets underway in the city on Sunday 9 February.
This weekend, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs will face off for the famous Lombardi Trophy, and the winning team and local short-term rental hosts will have equally good reason to celebrate.
Super Bowl LIX, however, coincides with Mardi Gras season, creating a perfect storm of opportunity for vacation rental property owners.
Now, short-term rental data and analytics provider, AirDNA, has analysed how STRs in previous Super Bowl host cities have performed, examined what makes New Orleans unique this year, and uncovered the key trends in pricing and demand to help hosts make even more informed decisions.
Traditionally, the Super Bowl’s economic impact extends far beyond the stadium. It brings an influx of fans, media personnel, corporate sponsors and entertainment industry professionals who often prefer the space of vacation rentals over hotels.
2025 data so far points to a market that heavily favours hosts, according to AirDNA, with limited STR supply growth in New Orleans [just 2.6 per cent year-over-year] creating intense guest competition for available rentals. While the combination of the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras festivities is pushing prices to new heights, AirDNA expects occupancy rates to stabilise as price-sensitive travellers explore cheaper alternatives in neighbouring areas.
Phoenix 2023 case study
In the lead up to the 2023 Super Bowl, Phoenix saw available listings surge by 34.6 per cent. However, February is the second-highest occupancy month behind March in Phoenix, meaning that short-term rental accommodations were nearing annual high usage rates regardless of the Super Bowl.
Phoenix had dramatic growth in both demand and ADR; however, the growth in demand of +35.8 per cent YOY was qualified by the +31.3 per cent growth rate the weekend prior, which had no blockbuster event.
Demand jumped 35.8 per cent year-over-year for Super Bowl LVII weekend, but the number was less impressive considering that growth rate the weekend prior was 31.3 per cent.
Occupancy declined by 15.6 per cent for Super Bowl weekend compared to the previous year, due to the flood of new listings. Despite increased demand, the influx of bookings was spread across a greater number of short-term rentals. As a result, host occupancy declined overall.
Average daily rates [ADRs] soared 47 per cent higher than the previous year, significantly outpacing the 14.2 per cent growth seen the weekend prior. While hosts in 2022 were able to charge $500 for the night of 11 February, Super Bowl hosts were able to get $700 for the same day in 2023 on the eve of the Super Bowl.
The surge suggests that while Phoenix may have overshot on supply, the market remained highly profitable for well-positioned hosts.
Las Vegas 2024 case study
The following year, Las Vegas showed restraint in supply growth around Super Bowl LVIII, with available listings increasing just 12.9 per cent YOY. The result was an 80.2 per cent surge in demand for Super Bowl rental properties.
Despite this, ADRs rose only 10.6 per cent – barely higher than the previous weekend’s 9.5 per cent gain.
Super Bowl 2025
New Orleans is shaping up to mirror Phoenix more than Las Vegas, but with its own twists.Currently, Super Bowl house rentals are trending toward higher prices rather than explosive demand growth. Data as of 27 January reveals that Super Bowl weekend demand is now pacing +2.7 per cent ahead YOY, a slight jump from earlier projections before the final matchup was confirmed.What makes New Orleans particularly interesting is how the Super Bowl is conveniently timed with the city’s traditional peak season around Mardi Gras festivities. When comparing weekends, AirDNA noted that the Super Bowl is showing noteworthy strength considering that last weekend was pacing at -16.7 per cent YOY. Looking further ahead, Mardi Gras 2025 is currently tracking at +109.6 per cent YOY, suggesting sustained strong demand for New Orleans’ peak season events.
What hosts can expect for Super Bowl rental prices
The current 67.1 per cent YOY ADR growth for New Orleans STRs significantly outpaces both Phoenix in 2023 [47 per cent] and Las Vegas in 2024 [10.6 per cent].While YOY demand growth for Mardi Gras blows the Super Bowl out of the water, the opposite is true for nightly rates. Super Bowl hosts are setting prices upwards of $650 this year, while Mardi Gras hosts are experiencing more modest YOY ADR growth [23 per cent], bringing nightly rates to approximately $500.
Booking patterns also reveal a crucial insight for hosts: while Mardi Gras typically rewards early pricing strategies, the Super Bowl follows a different playbook. AirDNA says that this shows clear evidence of accelerated bookings following the playoff games, which contrasts sharply with Mardi Gras booking patterns, which usually plateau about three weeks before the event.
Read the full AirDNA report now at this link.
