Football season is the longest party season of the year. Tailgates run from September into January, fantasy leagues crown a champion in late December, the playoffs fill January, and the season ends with the biggest watch party in the country: Super Bowl LXI at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on Sunday, February 14, 2027. For a print shop, every one of those dates needs the same things: beer steins, pint glasses, shot glasses and bottle openers with a name, a league or a color scheme on them. This guide covers what to stock, case prices and profit, how to design game day products without licensing trouble, and when to order.
Short answer: Tailgate and watch party orders run now through January, fantasy football trophies are due in late December, playoff party orders pick up in January, and the Big Game is on Sunday, February 14, 2027. Since it lands on Valentine's Day, the 2027 game also gives shops a second reason to sell couples and party gifts the same weekend.
| When | What happens | What sells |
|---|---|---|
| Now through January | Tailgates and weekly watch parties | Beer steins, pint glasses, cone beer cups, bottle openers |
| Late December | Fantasy football league championships | Champion steins, last place mugs, league name shot glass sets |
| January | Playoffs and bowl games | Watch party sets, bar and brewery pint glasses |
| Sunday, February 14, 2027 | The Big Game, plus Valentine's Day | Party favors, host gifts, couples game day sets |
The scale is why this matters. For the 2026 game, the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights expected a record 213.1 million US adults to watch, 121.1 million to throw or attend a party, and total spending of $20.2 billion. Food and drink take most of that budget, which is exactly where personalized drinkware fits.
Short answer: A 22 oz ceramic beer stein is the centerpiece gift of the season, and pint glasses and glass beer steins are the volume sellers for parties, bars and breweries. A case of 18 Photo USA 22 oz beer steins starts at $151.16, so at an example $25 each, the case brings in $450.
| Blank | Case price | Example retail | Case revenue | Gross before supplies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 oz ceramic beer stein | from $151.16 / 18 | $25 | $450 | $298.84 |
| 22 oz beer stein, white with gold trim | $150.54 / 18 | $28 | $504 | $353.46 |
| 16 oz glass beer stein, frost out | $90.20 / 24 | $18 | $432 | $341.80 |
| 17 oz sublimation pint glass | $131.00 / 36 | $15 | $540 | $409.00 |
| 16 oz stainless steel cone beer cup | $231.36 / 48 | $20 | $960 | $728.64 |
Steins sell as gifts, and pint glasses sell in sets. A host buying for a watch party wants 8 or 12 glasses with the same design, which turns one order into a third of a case. Bars and breweries order the same way, with their own logo and the season or the date. For capacity and sizing, see our guide to shot glass, pint glass and beer stein sizes, and for design ideas that carry over from fall, our beer mug design guide.
Short answer: Glass shot glasses, bottle openers and coasters are the low price add-ons that fill out every game day order. A case of 144 Photo USA 1.5 oz glass shot glasses starts at $210.92, so at an example $8 each, the case brings in $1,152.
| Blank | Case price | Example retail | Case revenue | Gross before supplies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5 oz glass shot glass | from $210.92 / 144 | $8 | $1,152 | $941.08 |
| 2 oz glass shot glass | $262.76 / 144 | $8 | $1,152 | $889.24 |
| 2.5 oz frosted glass shot glass | $226.76 / 144 | $9 | $1,296 | $1,069.24 |
| Stainless steel bottle opener | $217.20 / 120 | $10 | $1,200 | $982.80 |
| Round sandstone coaster | $139.00 / 100 | $8 | $800 | $661.00 |
Shot glasses sell best as sets of four or six in two team colors, or as party favors with the host's name and the date. Pair a beer stein or pint glass with a bottle opener and a coaster and you have a tailgate gift set for $35 to $40. For more on these blanks, see our guides to wholesale shot glasses and sublimation bottle openers.
Example retail prices are illustrations, not recommendations. Gross before supplies is case revenue minus the case price, before paper, ink, packaging and labor. Price for your own market.
Short answer: Do not print team names, team logos, league logos or the trademarked name of the championship game without a license. Print colors, cities, numbers, league names your customer made up, and their own names and photos instead. That is what most fans want on a custom piece anyway.
Professional and college team names, logos and the name of the championship game are registered trademarks, and leagues enforce them on merchandise. A print shop selling a stein with a team logo on it can receive a takedown or a demand letter, and a marketplace listing can be removed. The safe and still very sellable options:
The rule is simple: if the design would only make sense with a team's logo on it, leave it out. If it is about your customer, their friends and their party, print it.
Stocking up for football season? Photo USA sells by the case with a one case minimum and no minimum number of cases, and most orders ship within 24 hours from Fremont, CA and Shepherdsville, KY. We also offer a wholesale imprint service if you would rather receive finished pieces. Email hello@photomugs.com or contact us with the items and quantities you need.
Short answer: Fantasy leagues are one of the best repeat customers a print shop can find. Every league needs a champion's prize and, increasingly, a last place punishment, and both are personalized by definition: the league name, the season and the winner's name.
A 22 oz beer stein with the league name, the season and the champion's name is the classic prize. A last place mug with a joke the league agrees on is the other half of the order. Offer both as a package, add a set of shot glasses for the league's draft party, and the same customer comes back every season. Most leagues finish in late December, so promote league prizes from early December.
Short answer: We recommend ordering blanks by mid January for the February 14, 2027 game. That leaves time to press, ship to your customers and handle the rush of last minute party orders in the final week.
Most Photo USA orders ship within one business day from Fremont, CA and Shepherdsville, KY, and ground delivery usually takes 3 to 7 business days. Shops close to Los Angeles are within easy ground range of our Fremont warehouse, which matters in a year when the game is played in Southern California. Press settings depend on the blank: ceramic steins press like a mug, while glass and shot glasses have their own recommended settings, listed in our sublimation time and temperature chart. Press one test piece from each new case before a party order.
Super Bowl LXI is on Sunday, February 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. The date is also Valentine's Day, so game day and couples gifts can be sold the same weekend.
Beer steins, pint glasses, glass beer steins, shot glasses, bottle openers and coasters, personalized with names, league names, colors or the date. Photo USA sells the 22 oz ceramic beer stein from $151.16 for a case of 18 and the 17 oz pint glass at $131.00 for a case of 36.
Not without a license. Team names, team logos, league logos and the trademarked name of the championship game are registered trademarks, and leagues enforce them on merchandise. Print team colors, city names, numbers, your customer's own league name and their photos instead.
A personalized 22 oz beer stein with the league name, the season and the champion's name. Many leagues also order a last place mug. Most fantasy leagues finish in late December, so promote league prizes from early December.
At an example retail price of $25, a case of 18 Photo USA 22 oz ceramic beer steins starting at $151.16 brings in $450, or $298.84 before paper, ink, packaging and labor. Price for your own market.
Yes. They are low cost, easy to personalize with the host's name and the date, and sell well in sets of four or six. Photo USA sells 1.5 oz glass shot glasses from $210.92 for a case of 144.
We recommend ordering by mid January for the February 14, 2027 game. Most Photo USA orders ship within one business day, and ground delivery usually takes 3 to 7 business days.
For the 2026 game, the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights expected a record 213.1 million US adults to watch and 121.1 million to throw or attend a party, with total spending of $20.2 billion.
One last note: the press settings in this guide are recommended starting points only. Temperature and time work against each other, so a higher temperature needs less time and a lower one needs more, and every heat press and oven runs a little differently. Press one test piece and adjust for your own machine.
