#34 - Super Bowl, F1 and PFAS: when Procurement becomes spectacle and nightmare

🏈 Super Bowl LX: the $1 billion Procurement masterclass

Super Bowl LX was played on February 8, 2026 in Santa Clara, California. Patriots versus Seahawks, more than 1 billion dollars in economic impact, and behind the scenes a logistics and Procurement engine that would make most corporate supply chains blush.

This was not just a sporting event. It was the second largest food consumption day of the year in the US after Thanksgiving. Each fan spent on average $58 on food and beverages. Advertising slots cost astronomical figures. And everything had to work flawlessly, because the entire world was watching.

Years of logistical planning involved the NFL, the host city, transportation providers and hundreds of vendors. An event that lasted only a few hours but generated $600 million in direct revenue for the NFL and an additional $300 to $500 million boost for the host city.

“Economic impact matters, but social impact is what truly counts,” explained Zaileen Janmohamed, President and CEO of the Bay Area Host Committee. “Seeing residents proud to show the world where they live: that is why we did it.”

Hundreds of heavy duty trucks transported the playing field in temperature controlled units. The half time show required props, lighting systems and audio equipment shipped from across the country. And the two teams? Each required between four and six large aircraft just to transport players and families. Trucks also delivered stadium concessions, enough food and beverages for tens of thousands of spectators.

But the most interesting part was the Procurement program, called Super Bowl LX Source, designed to engage Bay Area businesses, with a focus on local and diverse owned companies.

The program created a database of event ready suppliers capable of handling Super Bowl contracts and leveraging long term opportunities with the NFL, teams and partners. Contracting lasted 15 months, from December 2024 to February 2026. Accepted businesses gained visibility for subcontracting and professional development. As a legacy, they were included in the Super Bowl directory used by the NFL even after the event.

In other words, this was not a one off event. It was a program that built long term relationships between local suppliers and one of the largest sports brands in the world.

The lesson for Procurement: instead of centralizing everything with mega suppliers, the NFL built a local supplier ecosystem with integrated capacity building. The result? A more resilient supply chain, distributed economic impact and durable relationships instead of spot transactions.

Question for the CPOs managing events or complex projects: did you simply buy supplies, or did you build supplier ecosystems that create shared value?

🔗 Sources: Procurement Magazine, Superbowl.com

🏎️ F1 2026: engine reset equals supply chain reset

Formula 1 is about to change everything. In 2026 a new engine regulation comes into force that may look technical on paper, but from a Procurement perspective it is a shockwave of client supplier relationships, technological lock in and massive regulatory risk.

An engine is not just a component. It is a highly integrated and extremely expensive platform, worth millions of dollars. And now that platform changes completely, rewriting the map of who supplies what to whom.

The most important multi year contracts in motorsport? Mercedes becomes the super supplier: four teams, McLaren, Mercedes, Williams and Alpine, will depend on its power units. More customers mean more volume, more data and stronger negotiating power. Red Bull takes the boldest risk, moving from buyer to in house producer for the first time, in partnership with Ford. A transition that typically implies new supply chains and a steep learning curve. Ferrari remains both manufacturer and supplier to two teams, including the new Cadillac entry. Honda returns with Aston Martin, while Audi enters as a new manufacturer with its own power unit.

The FIA has defined the perimeter of qualified vendors. There are six manufacturers: Alpine, Audi, Ferrari, Honda, Mercedes and Red Bull Ford. Everyone else is media noise.

The framework sets clear constraints:

• The electrical component will account for close to 50 percent of total power
• Fuel must be 100 percent sustainable
• Costs must be contained

The regulator is directly shaping make versus buy strategies for every team.

But the real reset is technical. The MGU H, which recovers energy from exhaust gases, is eliminated. The MGU K, which recovers energy under braking, becomes far more powerful, increasing from 120 kW to 350 kW. Nearly triple. As a result, roughly half of the power will come from electric systems.

For Procurement this changes everything. Batteries, power electronics, high voltage wiring and thermal management become critical and more valuable. The risk of component scarcity rises in categories where external demand from electric vehicles, data centers and defense is already strong.

Then there is fuel. From 2026, Advanced Sustainable Fuels derived from carbon capture and biomass will be mandatory. In practice, teams will source from certified supply chains with strict standards, audits and reputational risk exposure.

F1 2026 is true supply chain drama: an industry changing specifications and vendor sets at the same time. Winners will be those with the strongest vertical integration, the most resilient supply chains and the ability to absorb regulatory change without losing months of development. You see the outcome on track, but the real race is run months earlier in contracts and supplier qualification.

🔗 Sources: Motorsport.com, FIA, Formula 1, Sky Sports

🧪 PFAS 2026: the forever chemicals putting Procurement under strain

PFAS, per and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are synthetic chemicals used everywhere: waterproof textiles, cosmetics, firefighting foams, food packaging.

The problem? They are extremely persistent and accumulate in the environment and in the human body. That is why they are called forever chemicals.

Organizations have followed the EU debate on PFAS for years, but 2026 is different. Measures are entering into force, forcing companies to demonstrate control over PFAS in textiles, cosmetics, industrial safety and supply chains involving recycled materials.

For Procurement teams the challenge is simple but brutal: identify where PFAS may be present. Materials, components, surface treatments, processing aids. And above all, assess how quickly changes can be implemented without compromising performance or breaching customer commitments.

France is already moving decisively. On January 1, 2026, a ban on products containing PFAS entered into force in three categories:

• Cosmetics
• Textiles for clothing
• Ski waxes

France is a major EU hub for cross border distribution, so a French ban can quickly become a de facto EU wide design constraint.

Compliance work starts upstream. Product formulation decisions, material specifications, supplier declarations and testing strategies must be implemented well before shipment. Relying on the principle of not intentionally adding PFAS is increasingly inadequate from both a regulatory and claims risk perspective.

There is an even subtler issue: trace contamination. PFAS compliance is not limited to intentional use. The EU has amended the POP framework for PFOS, and from 2026 companies will need to monitor more actively for traces in certain materials, particularly recycled inputs and multi tier supply chains.

If your Procurement team is increasing recycled content for ESG, packaging or cost reasons, you need controls that address not only PFAS thresholds but also POP limits. Otherwise you risk sudden non compliance after scaling. Companies must expand PFAS governance beyond restricted substance lists and include supplier due diligence, targeted screening and sourcing specifications aligned with POP constraints.

The proposed universal EU PFAS restriction is still under evaluation by ECHA, which has stated it aims to complete the assessment by the end of 2026. For executives, the key point is not whether the final legal text arrives in 2026, but that the direction is clear. Any restriction will likely cover a broad group of PFAS, allow limited derogations and include transition periods that reward early movers and penalize those who wait.

European PFAS compliance in 2026 is no longer about a distant future. It is about responding to effective bans, managing already adopted restrictions and preparing for broader measures expected by year end. Those who wait will lose.

🔗 Sources: Chemical Watch, EUR Lex