SUPER BOWL LXI SOURCE PROGRAM SPARKS OUTRAGE: LOS ANGELES SMALL BUSINESSES ASK WHY THE NFL WANTS OUR CITY, OUR MONEY, AND OUR PROMOTION — BUT NOT OUR BUSINESSES
As the NFL Returns to SoFi Stadium in Inglewood for 2027, Black, Latina, Asian American, Creative, Media, Film, and Small Business Owners Say They Are Being Left Outside the Economic Table
The National Football League is once again bringing the Super Bowl back to Los Angeles County. Super Bowl LXI will be hosted at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, a city that has become a powerful national destination for sports, entertainment, culture, music, activations, and major live events.
Inglewood is looking fabulous. The city has been showing up strong for sports, entertainment, play, concerts, brand activations, and global visibility. From SoFi Stadium to the surrounding business corridors, Inglewood continues to rise as one of the most exciting cultural and entertainment hubs in America.
But while Inglewood is glowing, many Los Angeles small businesses are still hurting.
Families are still trying to survive. The economy has not fully recovered for many entrepreneurs. The cost of living remains high. Small business owners are still fighting to keep doors open, pay staff, feed families, and remain visible in a marketplace where the biggest contracts often go to the same familiar players.
That is why the denial notices connected to the Super Bowl LXI Source Program have created such deep frustration.
The program website, https://superbowl61suppliers.com/, invited businesses to apply with the hope of gaining access to procurement and supplier opportunities connected to the 2027 Super Bowl. For many independent publishers, production companies, creative agencies, PR firms, event planners, media outlets, filmmakers, digital creators, and multicultural small businesses, the application felt like a real opportunity.
Instead, many received the same generic rejection.
A Billion-Dollar Event, But Small Businesses Still Get Nothing
The NFL is the highest-revenue sports league in the world, generating more than $23 billion annually. Its media rights, sponsorships, ticket sales, merchandise, streaming deals, and global expansion make it one of the most powerful business engines in America.
Yet the question remains:
Why are local Los Angeles small businesses invited to apply if the result is another rejection letter and no real pathway to opportunity?
Small business owners are not asking for charity. They are asking for access.
They are asking why a billion-dollar sports machine can come into Los Angeles, use the streets, airwaves, community energy, culture, traffic space, media attention, and local excitement, yet so many local entrepreneurs still receive nothing.
The Same Old Players Still Get a Bite at the Table
Many business owners believe the same connected companies continue to benefit while newer, smaller, independent, Black, Latina, Asian American, women-owned, and community-based businesses are pushed to the side.
The frustration is simple: the NFL wants local excitement, ticket buyers, community promotion, and cultural support, but many small businesses feel excluded when it is time to share real contracts.
The lucky ones appear to be the same old players in the game.
Meanwhile, thousands of small businesses are denied, overlooked, or sent automated responses that feel impersonal and dismissive.
Seven Key Concerns from Los Angeles Small Businesses
- Small businesses applied with hope but received generic rejection notices.
- Independent publishers, film firms, creative agencies, and media companies still lack clear procurement access.
- Black, Latina, Asian American, and diverse small businesses deserve transparent opportunities.
- The NFL should disclose how many local businesses applied, were accepted, and received contracts.
- Major events should include grants, contracts, and paid creative opportunities for local entrepreneurs.
- Los Angeles and Inglewood should not only host the Super Bowl — local businesses should benefit from it.
- The same old insiders should not be the only ones invited to the economic table.
A Call for Real Inclusion
If the NFL can generate more than $23 billion a year, it can create meaningful opportunities for small businesses in Los Angeles County.
A minimum investment into 1,000 local businesses — even at $25,000 each — would create jobs, support families, strengthen community media, fund creative campaigns, help production companies, and give small business owners a real role in the Super Bowl economy.
Los Angeles does not need another symbolic invitation.
Los Angeles needs contracts, grants, transparency, and accountability.
As Super Bowl LXI approaches, the NFL has a chance to do more than bring the game back to SoFi Stadium.
It has a chance to prove that local small businesses matter.
What about making sure all of the small PR agencies that have between 1 to 10 employees can participate, work with fellow publicists, and make sure they are incorporated? There are a lot of publishers that want to work with all the strategic brands from the NFL while the NFL is here for the whole week of festivities.
What about making sure all photographers, videographers, and independent production companies have an opportunity, and everybody gets a taste of what is called the NFL?
What about all the events that are taking place during the week of the NFL, including the Taste of the NFL? Making sure that PR, the creative community, independent social impact leaders, event curators, and the activations are included means that everybody has a piece. Each PR company can work a specific aspect. They have room for it.
Key Inclusion Points
• Small PR agencies with 1 to 10 employees should have a pathway to participate.
• Local publicists and incorporated creative businesses should be able to work alongside fellow publicists.
• Independent publishers should be included in brand, media, and community promotion opportunities.
• Photographers, videographers, and independent production companies should have access to paid opportunities.
• Event curators, social impact leaders, and creative agencies should be included in NFL-related activations.
• The NFL has room to divide opportunities across multiple small businesses and allow each company to support a specific aspect of the weeklong festivities.
Until then, many entrepreneurs are asking the same question:
Why does the NFL want our city, our money, our promotion, and our culture — but not our small businesses?
After receiving hundreds of emails from small business owners, creative professionals, independent publishers, production companies, and community-based entrepreneurs, I felt it was important to share this information publicly. I would like to speak directly with the NFL and the Super Bowl LXI Source Program leadership to better understand why qualified Los Angeles small businesses cannot receive more meaningful support, access, feedback, and opportunity.
Each and every applicant deserves to be reviewed with fairness, respect, and transparency. These businesses are qualified, prepared, and ready to serve. They deserve a seat at the table that reflects their industry, talent, certification, and contribution to the Los Angeles economy.
Please see the attached NFL Source Program letter below.
The attached NFL Source Program letter reflects what many of us received on Friday, June 5, 2026, at nearly the same time. The concern is that small business owners across Los Angeles were sent the same broad, generic denial notice after applying with sincere hope that the Super Bowl LXI Source Program would create real procurement access.
For many applicants, the letter felt automated, impersonal, and disconnected from the time, qualifications, certifications, creativity, and business capacity each applicant brought to the process.
Special Small Business Advocacy Report
Written from the concern of an independent social enterprise leader, mother, publisher, and small business advocate.
All of the denied small businesses that applied are certified small businesses holding MBE (Minority Business Enterprise), WBE (Women Business Enterprise), SLB (Small Local Business), CBE (Certified Business Enterprise), and SBE (Small Business Enterprise) certifications. Many are also part of GLAAACC, BBA, and chambers throughout Los Angeles. These businesses should receive fair consideration, transparent review, meaningful access, and equitable opportunities to participate in Super Bowl LXI procurement, marketing, media, creative, event, and community engagement initiatives.
The Same Generic Letter, The Same Frustration
The NFL Source Program sent denial letters around the same time on Friday, June 5, 2026, between the hours of approximately 1 PM and 4 PM. Many small business owners received the same generic letter and the same email, basically stating that they were denied, followed by a simple thank you, without any meaningful meeting, greeting, or opportunity to speak directly with decision-makers through a Zoom call or review conversation.
Perhaps the NFL Source Program should meet with small business advocacy leaders and give each applicant at least five minutes to explain why they should be selected and what they offer. A fairer criterion could include businesses that have been operating for at least four years or more. This should also include small business leaders, social media agencies, creative agencies, publishers, publicists, event curators, and independent production companies.
The current process does not feel fair, and it needs to be changed. Today, we advocate for all small businesses in the City of Los Angeles and Los Angeles County.
Please read the denial letter received by small businesses here:
https://docsend.com/v/fw87j/superbowlsourceletter
Report by
Lela Christine
Independent Social Enterprise Leader
Mother | Publisher | Small Business Advocate
