Chips, dip, soda, pizza, friends, commercials, half time shows, pre-game shows, post-game celebrations and a trip to Disney World. All of these aspects surround what has become the national holiday we look at in America known as the Super Bowl.
Where did this annual celebration come from, and how did it grow to become the media circus we see today? Super Bowl I was played on January 15, 1967. The Green Bay Packers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 35-10. The game did not come close to selling out, and the NFL had difficulty finding a network to support the event. In the year 2010, it’s quite hard to imagine a network not wanting to air the Super Bowl. 61,000 were in attendance to witness Green Bay defeat Kansas City, a number that has grown considerably over the years. For Super Bowl XLIII in 2009, there were 98.7 million viewers world-wide, the most in the games history, according to superbowlhistory.net. Ticket prices have sky-rocketed over the past 44 years, for Sunday’s game, tickets range anywhere from $1,393 to $247,065, according to stubhub.com.
Another aspect of the game that has changed drastically over the past half century is advertising. As the games fan base increased, advertisers began paying more and more for time slots during the game. One of the biggest changing factors in terms of unique, brand new commercials being played during the game came from the Macintosh Cooperation during the 1984 game. The commercial had an amazing impact on Macintosh sales, and advertisers have been looking to imitate their success during the game ever since. In 2008, Fox Broadcasting charged an estimated $2.7 million dollars per 30 second ad., according to The New York Times.
Media coverage has evolved, from pre game, to post game, to half time shows. ESPN covers the game for weeks before kickoff, discussing every aspect, who’s in, who’s out and who they think will win. With this being said, the game has slowly moved further and further back in the calendar, as the NFL’s popularity has increased. This year the game will be held on February 7, the latest date in the history of the game. Every talk, news and sports show in America will cover the post game. Athletes from the quarterback to the kicker of the winning team will have an appearance on some sort of show, talking about their victory. The half time shows have experienced quite the roller coaster over the last 44 years. From Janet Jackson to Paul McCartney, millions of dollars are spent on half time entertainment every year.
Enjoy the game Sunday. Celebrate the single biggest annual sporting event, and unofficial American holiday, like you should. Be proud that you live in a country that has adapted so well to an event, that people watch it merely for the advertisements and half time entertainment. Most importantly, be happy to know you will be celebrating the game for years to come, as it continues to grow every year.
1 comments
Whadderya talkin' about, "difficulty finding a network to support the event?"