As Santa Clarita has always been, and continues to be, a major filming hub, it is no surprise that local studios and open spaces were utilized for Super Bowl LX last weekend.  

Tyler Pledger, economic development manager with the city of Santa Clarita, reflected on the legacy of filming in Santa Clarita.  

“Santa Clarita is one of California’s premier filming destinations. We have diverse landscapes, more than 50 or 60 sound stages, numerous movie ranches, and thousands of film-friendly locations within the 30-mile zone. Our role at the city is to try and make filming as seamless as possible, while also ensuring that neighborhoods and businesses and public spaces are respected,” Pledger said. 

In 2025, 388 permits were issued, which resulted in 718 film days with over $14.6 million in economic impact. 

“We’ve had film productions and shows that continue to film here, including ‘NCIS.’ Larry David also has an untitled HBO series that should be releasing this year. This year ahead, we’re hopeful that production levels will continue to stabilize and increase,” Pledger said. “The state of California made major changes to the Film and Television Tax Credit Program, increasing funding from $330 million to $750 million.” 

Movies in recent years that were filmed in Santa Clarita include “Oppenheimer” and “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.” In addition, music videos including Charli xcx’s “Guess,” featuring Billie Eilish, and Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” were filmed in and near Santa Clarita.  

According to Pledger, the following Super Bowl commercials were filmed in the city’s vicinity: 

Budweiser’s “American Icons” was filmed at two movie ranches, one in Santa Clarita, and one right outside city limits.  Liquid Death’s “Exploding Heads” commercial was partially filmed outside of College of the Canyon’s University Center. 

Danielle Pena, president of the Warriors, reflected on the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the players for the spot that was filmed in Culver City. 

“We actually filmed at a school in Los Angeles, and we were contacted by a production company. One of our team managers inquired about an Instagram post that we all were seeing, then the production company asked us to submit a bunch of players, asking for a specific age range and height range,” Pena said. “They told us it was about a character-building commercial for the NFL that was going to be shown during the Super Bowl.” 

The commercial entails a boy in his bedroom chanting words of affirmation that his coach told the team prior, accompanied by clips of the coach’s speech. The commercial discusses themes of resilience, and the boy says to himself that he is “a champion.” 

“They wanted to use our uniforms, our equipment, and just really emphasize what the Warriors are about, which is building character, building respect and having dedication and belief in themselves as kids — building champions for life, basically, whether it be in school or sports or just everyday life,” Pena said. “They were very excited, and more so when they were told that they got to wear their own uniforms and really represent the Warriors.” 

According to Pena, 12 kids were chosen in the 7 to 10 age range; the organization has about 160 athletes from the ages of 6 to 14. 

“They were on location for a total of about five hours from start to finish. They were treated nicely — they had breakfast, they went to the wardrobe and got dressed, and they were on set. It taught the kids a bit about work — you have to get up early, you have to be on time, and you have to follow instructions. It gave them an opportunity to showcase what they believe in and who they really are,” Pena said. 

Filming took place on Jan. 17, and the Warriors were notified of the selection just three days prior. 

“The kids loved it. A couple of them were like: ‘I always knew I was going to be on TV.’ Some of them took the message away — they’re like, ‘We really can do anything,’” Pena said. “We’re so thankful for the opportunity and to give back to the youth and be a part of such a strong message. It really is the foundation of who we are and the athletes that we’re raising and developing.” 

For a comprehensive list of local filming and other inquiries, visit: filmsantaclarita.com.