Within half a century, the Super Bowl has evolved from a sporting event into America’s biggest and most expensive party.

Rihanna had an explosive performance at the Super Bowl while pregnant. Photo: Reuters.

Rihanna had an explosive performance at the Super Bowl while pregnant. Photo: Reuters .

For Americans, the Super Bowl is the most anticipated sporting event of the year. This tournament accounts for 30 of the 32 most watched television programs in the history of the United States.

Last year, the highest-viewed non-football show was State of the Union, with just under 40 million Americans tuning in, according to CNN .

Meanwhile, the Super Bowl has 100 million viewers on NBC and is broadcast to more than 170 countries.

Favorite reason

The popularity of the Super Bowl comes from the fact that Americans especially love rugby. A poll by The Washington Post conducted in 2022 found that 67% of Americans are rugby fans. No other sport is chosen by more than 50% of people.

However, love for rugby is not the whole reason for Americans to lose sleep and eat watching the tournament.

The Super Bowl is like an all-in-one event. The SSRS poll found that 24% of Super Bowl viewers said they enjoyed watching the commercials.

Super Bowl brings together world-famous artists. Photo: @shakira.

Super Bowl brings together world-famous artists. Photo: @shakira.

So, it’s no surprise that brands are willing to pay about 7 million USD for their 30-second commercials to appear this season.

The Super Bowl halftime music show is also very popular with the audience. Big stars like Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga, Bruce Springsteen and Coldplay have all performed at the Super Bowl over the past 30 years.

This year, Rihanna, who has sold hundreds of millions of records and won 9 Grammy Awards, will return. More than 10% of Super Bowl viewers said the halftime show was their favorite.

Super Bowl has become a familiar name in American culture. The tournament gives fans the opportunity to gather around the television with friends to eat, drink and cheer on their favorite team.

Today’s tournament has evolved to become a showcase for the competitiveness of athletes, musicians and the dedication of loyal fans.

Expensive events

The Super Bowl always sells out as fans compete for every seat. A survey by data research firm Morning Consult reports that nearly half of Americans are “very likely” to watch the Super Bowl on television.

Ticket prices have also changed a lot. In 1967, Super Bowl tickets cost $6-$12 . People at the time thought the bar was too high. But today, fans can pay more than $5,000 to get a seat on the field.

According to LendingTree’s recent survey of 2,008 US consumers ages 18 to 77, people plan to spend an average of $115 at this year’s Super Bowl, up 31% from 2022’s average of $88 .

Last year’s Super Bowl was watched by 100 million people on NBC. Photo: AP.

Last year’s Super Bowl was watched by 100 million people on NBC. Photo: AP.

This year, people with six-figure incomes plan to spend the most, at an average of $246 .

While 52% of Americans plan to watch the game at home, 20% will host watch parties, an 82% increase from 2022. 66% of consumers will spend money on food and drinks when watch the Super Bowl.

Brian Wilder, executive vice president of On Location, the official hotel partner of the American Football League (NFL), said: “If you go back 10 years ago, the Super Bowl was just a game, but now Now it’s more than that. The NFL is looking at the tournament as more than just a sporting event, but the entire experience that happens around it.”