The Super Bowl is one of the most popular televised events, garnering 114.4 million viewers at its peak in 2015 when, the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots competed against each other. Super Bowl Sunday is typically on the first Sunday in February, but starting in 2022, the Super Bowl is now held on the second Sunday in February. The Super Bowl halftime show is one of the most popular performances today, and advertisers spend large sums of money for a few seconds of airtime for this event. But how did the Super Bowl begin and what made it so popular?
According to history.com, the first Super Bowl was created as part of a 1966 merger agreement between the National Football League (NFL) and their rival, the American Football League (AFL). They agreed to play against each other for four years until 1970, when both leagues merged together. Ten AFL teams and three NFL teams formed the American Football Conference, while the other 13 NFL teams formed the National Football Conference. Since 1971, the two top teams from each conference have battled for the Super Bowl title. Today, there are 16 teams in each conference.
The majority of households had access to television in 1967, making the Super Bowl easily accessible to watch from home, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The Super Bowl’s number of American viewers has only grown since then, increasing to more than 80 million viewers yearly. The Super Bowl is not only limited to Americans — it is broadcast worldwide to over 180 countries. Viewers are not only watching for the football aspect. They may also be watching for the famed Super Bowl halftime show or the commercials.
The Super Bowl is more than just football. The Super Bowl halftime show is one of the most prominent performances today and starts after the first two quarters of the game have been completed. The halftime show has featured top performers such as Michael Jackson, Beyoncé and Lady Gaga. This show connects sports and pop culture together, broadening both television audience and nationwide interest. The Super Bowl also includes advertisements dispersed throughout the game. The commercials have become a cultural phenomenon of their own, using high cinematographic quality, unpredictability, unconventional humor and special effects to entertain viewers. Celebrities also frequently have had cameos in Super Bowl ads.
Another important factor of the Super Bowl’s popularity is its connection to patriotism. According to theconversation.com, since the 1960s, the national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner,” has been performed at every Super Bowl, often with marching bands and big performances. The Super Bowl has embraced patriotic symbols and showcased their flyovers and football field-sized flags, adding to the link between sports and patriotism.
Today, tickets to attend the game in person cost over $3,000. Super Bowl Sunday is one of the most popular unofficial holidays, where people gather to watch the game live on television while eating and drinking. There is no doubt that the Super Bowl is one of the largest sporting events worldwide and is an integral part of America’s culture today.