Hailed as one of the most watched events in history, the Super Bowl, is the annual league championship game of the National Football League (NFL). In fact, even in 2023, the Super Bowl remains incredibly popular as the Super Bowl will take place at Allegiant Stadium and marks the first time Las Vegas and the state of Nevada will welcome the Super Bowl in February 2024. With this in mind, let’s discuss how the Super Bowl became America’s most popular sporting event.
Firstly, it is important to note that the revenue from the sports events tickets market in the United States exceeded 14 billion U.S. dollars in 2022. This is mainly due to the volume of people who are interested in watching the Super Bowl. As it stands, the Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots and San Francisco 49ers have won the most Super Bowls. This year, The San Francisco 49ers, The Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles are among the betting favorites in the Super Bowl winner odds.
Furthermore, every year the Super Bowl has a huge viewership even in comparison to other US sports events. For example, an average of 1.59 million viewers tuned in to watch NBA regular season games across ABC, ESPN and TNT in the 2022/23 season. In comparison, the Super Bowl tends to average just under 100 million viewers in the USA, with around 30-50 watching from outside the USA.
One of the reasons why the Super Bowl is so popular is because of its longstanding history. In fact, the game was created as part of a 1966 merger agreement between the NFL and the competing American Football League (AFL) to have their best teams go head to head for a championship. It was originally called the AFL–NFL World Championship Game until the “Super Bowl” name was introduced in 1969’s Super Bowl III.
For many people in the USA and all over the world, the Super Bowl is so special because pro football remains to be the only major professional team sport with a single-elimination playoff system. Other popular sports decide who wins after a team achieves four games out of seven. Therefore, many people who tune into the Super Bowl are thrill seekers who thrive in environments with anticipation and will remain on the edge of their seat wondering who will win.
Moreover, many people watch the Super Bowl for other reasons than just loving football. For example, there are a lot of advertisements to be seen at the Super Bowl as companies pay advertising organizations to put on commercials. Watching the commercials has become one of the most unique aspects of the Super Bowl as the commercials and are talked about for weeks and even years later.
Furthermore, those who like to soak up every element of a football game love the commentary that is provided at Super Bowl games. Even for those who are new to the world of the Super Bowl, the commentators are able to summarize what is going on while making the atmosphere even more exciting. Of course, the emotions that are associated with the Super Bowl are another reason why it has become so popular. Despite the Super Bowl only being a few hours of action, spectators are taken on a wild ride of emotions due to the unpredictability of the game.
In the coming years, it is predicted that the Super Bowl will gain even more recognition internationally. It is already broadcast in more than 130 countries in more than 30 languages. However, it is thought that it will gain even more international exposure through campaigns and advertisements etc. Furthermore, as technology becomes more and more advanced, there is even speculation that AI will make its way into the Super Bowl. This includes using AI to enhance and improve the viewing experience for fans, as well as boosting player performances and safety.
On top of this, there is discussions around the use of AI-powered stadiums and how it aims to offer fans a wholly immersive experience. Not only will they have interactive seating setups, but there could be virtual advertising and real-time player statistics. These AI stadiums can also help collate information and data on how fans preferences and behavior which can be crucial for making Super Bowl events even better in the future.
Overall, the future of the Super Bowl looks promising. With the next Super Bowl game planned for February 2024 and statistics revealing that the viewership rates are higher than ever, it seems that many more people will become interested in the Super Bowl in the coming years.
