The Super Bowl is the biggest entertainment event in the United States, and every year the production gets bigger! These games are the most watched shows on American television, as fans and non-fans alike join together in an almost patriotic show of culture.
The games are so iconic that some people suggest that Super Bowl Sunday should be a national holiday.
But what has made this game so popular, and why has this American sport become iconic across the world?
Table of Contents
The Expansion of TV
To the youngsters among the crowds, it might be hard to believe that only 60 years ago, owning a TV was the ultimate sign of wealth. In 1955, only half of Americans had a television, and in other countries, the ratio was less. As TVs became more affordable and color programming was developed, more and more households bought a television or shared it with their neighbors. The rise of the TV era was among us, and in 1967, the first Super Bowl was aired.
95% of all American households watched that first game. It was a chance to have a party, invite friends over, and all sit around a tiny screen as a community.
The connection created on that first showing was enough to tell the broadcasters that they were on to a winner. This community spirit was organically created, but the silver screen wanted more.
Rival Leagues Compete for Attention
The NFL and the AFL were too big leagues battling for the attention of the American audience. The AFL hadn’t been around for as long as the NFL, which had been created 40 years before. The NFL also knew how to get people to watch through the TV. This led people to believe that the AFL wasn’t a real competition.
In 1967, the two leagues decided to merge. It created a massive noise as people would bet against the AFL or the NFL players to win. Everyone was betting for the NFL, but in a shocking turn of events, the New York Jets gave the AFL their first ever Super Bowl victory in their 3rd season.
The rival was enough to bring spectators to the stand year after year, creating friendly rivalry among the sportsmen and the fans alike!
Super Bowl is a Synonym for America
No matter where you are in the world, if you hear the word “Super Bowl,” you think of America. The NFL, the American Flag, and the US Military are all tightly connected. During the 1968 Super Bowl, Pete Rozelle (a World War 2 veteran and the commissioner for the NFL) organized a half-time show where the military flew over the stadium in a dramatic stunt. In 1970, the army came again, but this time to reenact the 1815 Battle of New Orleans; between the US and the UK.
This interaction sparked interest from across the pond and also created a whole new area of entertainment in the games.
In a world where most of us don’t worry about war, the Super Bowl presents a pre-modern battleground of violence, strategy, and loyalism!
Marketing and Betting Dominates
In the 70s, the Dallas Cowboys and the Miami Dolphins were running the games. They were the only two teams to watch out for, which meant that the other games became less interesting. As viewing dipped, the marketing teams needed to readjust.
In the 80s, new leaders started to emerge like the Chicago Bears, the New York Giants, and the San Francisco 49ers. With less predictability on the field, the viewing spiked again. Bookies took hold of this exciting uncertainty and advertised bets to win big!
Although the betting world has changed since then, Fanduel’s Super Bowl betting holds the same level of excitement as those unpredictable times.
Advertising to the Masses
The Super Bowls advertisements are like nothing else. People who do not care for the game will often turn on the TV just to watch the adverts! These commercials won’t be played anywhere else, but they will be watched worldwide!
The advert that really kicked off the trend was the 1973 Noxcema ad where Joe Namath said, “I’m so excited, I’m going to get creamed.”
This raunchy commercial tapped into the high-spirited atmosphere of the game, and soon every advert was just as cheeky!
