The Impact of Super Bowl on the American Culture and Entertainment

The Super Bowl is an extremely favored sport competition that takes place every year. Millions of fans gather around television to view this enormously popular game. The event is held to determine the championship team of the National Football League, also known as the NFL. One of the most viewed sporting events in the world is the Super Bowl. The game is broadcasted in over 170 countries. To add to its appeal, the game also consists of extravagant halftime shows, special commercials, and appearances from celebrities. With more than 50 years of existence, it is all right to conclude that the Super Bowl has become a part of the American culture.

The NFL was established officially in 1920, but it wasn’t until 1966 that the Super Bowl happened. In 1960, a group of businessmen decided to introduce a league known as the Amercian Football League. The AFL was created because the business men were denied owning franchises with the NFL. The two leagues were gridiron rivals for several years. They were in competition for fans, support, and players. By 1966, the owners finally decided to negotiate an arrangement to merge the leagues. NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle and AFL commissioner Lamar Hunt’s agreement was for an end-of -season championship game. However, the agreement to merge was not finalized until 1970. The first Super Bowl, originally named the “AFL-NFL World Championship Game”, featured the two league’s champions. The title was revised to “Super Bowl” by Hunt to refer to the championship game because the original title was not very appealing. NFL’s Green Bay Packers and AFL’s Kansas City Chiefs were the first teams to participate in the Super Bowl. According to () the first game was played at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in 1967. This game was only broadcasted on two networks and did not sell out. After the leagues were merged, the NFL split into two conferences known as the American Football Conference and National Football Conference. The AFC and NFC are the champions who compete in the Super Bowl. Each year the game is hosted in a different city.

The Super Bowl is the only televised event that gets people excited about the commercials. Commercial time is the most expensive of the year during the game. Advertisers pay millions of dollars for their thirty second spot. Sponsors hire famous directors to produce the ads. Consumers tend to pay attention and as a result, sells seem to increase. Celebrities and noted filmmakers are featured in the high-profile advertisements. New technologies are also featured in hopes of making an impression on its enormous audience. () states “It is the ideal platform to communicate the exact message companies desire to embed in the minds of their consumers, because millions of people from unorthodox demographics also view the Super Bowl” (). Since the 1980s, media scrutiny and public interest in the super bowl commercials have nearly matched accorded the game itself. The first commercial was shown during the Super Bowl XVIII. In 1984, Apple commissioned a ridley scott directed commercial. the commercial was created to promote their new Macintosh computer. According to Orwell, the commercial showed a women tossing a sledge hammer into a gigantic tv screen of Big Brother’s propaganda (). This commercial created a sensation. Since then, corporate America has debuted their best ads during the game.

Even if you don’t tune in to view the game, you will likely tune in to watch the halftime show. The game is accompanied by elaborate pregame and halftime ceremonies and entertainment. The early Super Bowls featured small marching bands from the local high schools or colleges in the city. As the years proceeded, well-known artist began to perform. According to the halftime shows were not exempt from controversy. “Some critics have suggested that the shows are aimed at to narrow an audience by having entertainers that do not have a broad appeal, such as the rockstars”. The halftime show became an anticipated spectacle for some viewers. A lot of these viewers consider the 30-minute show a bigger event than the game itself. Some viewers only tune in for the musical entertainment.

Historically football has always been one of America’s favorite past times. Some might consider the super bowl just a game but it has become a unique, shared experience in the American Culture. Interest in the Super Bowl isn’t just about watching to see who’s team will win. It became a social event that majority of Americans participate in. American’s usually celebrate with friends and family. The parties include comforting foods and snacks, beer, and hopes of even making a little money. It is one of the only times during the year that viewers are glued to the television screen while viewing the same broadcast. Even the non fans who don’t enjoy football on the regular tune in. Super Bowl Sunday has evolved into an unofficial american holiday. Viewing parties are held in homes, taverns, and restaurants throughout the country. A week prior, the game is highlighted by extensive media buildup and a festival atmosphere in the hosting city.

The Super Bowl has become more than just an NFL championship game. It has evolved into a cultural phenome bringing in over 100 million viewers each year. Many Americans consider the Super Bowl ideal to entertainment. This extreme event consists of sports, music, and advertising. Majority of Super Bowls have been sell outs. They also have consistent TV ratings leaders. Many are among the highest-rated televised sporting events of all time. According to () “ As for broadcast rights, the game is now rotated among NBC, CBS, and FOX as part of the NFL’s TV contract, which is estimated to be $3 billion a season on average”(). The Super Bowl is a big deal because it unites the whole country.