By Alexis Pereira
The Super Bowl is Americans' favorite day of the year to kick back, eat their favorite snacks, watch football, and yell at the TV. It is also one of America’s favorite days to shop for essential Super Bowl Sunday supplies: chips, dips, sodas, and football decor. Over the last fifty-eight years, the Super Bowl has increasingly become about attention-grabbing media and spending rather than the game. The plethora of news about Taylor Swift's attendance exemplifies the shift in focus to media coverage rather than football. A prime example of the consumerist nature of the Super Bowl is the sheer amount of money brands are willing to pay for a prime ad slot during the big game. Many Americans organize watch parties, place bets on the outcome, or are tempted to buy marketed products.
Advertisements during the 2024 Super Bowl cost $7 million for thirty seconds, while the first Super Bowl ads cost $37,500 (around $349,634.50 when adjusted to 2024). The drastic increase in advertisement costs demonstrates the growing popularity and commercialization of the Super Bowl over the years. The significant investment made by advertisers reflects the event's enormous reach and impact, making it a highly lucrative platform for brands to showcase their products or services. In 2024, Temu spent upwards of $36 million on its Super Bowl promotions: $21 million on ads during the game and $15 million on in-app offers. Due to the commercialization of the Super Bowl and the sway of its ads, companies and consumers alike spent millions on the infamous Sunday. It has become a highly anticipated event for advertisers and a significant revenue generator for the NFL.
The National Retail Federation reported that 80% of Americans planned to buy food and beverages for the Super Bowl in 2024. An average American would spend about $86 on food and beverages, contributing to the estimated $17.3 billion spent on Super Bowl-related purchases. This surge in consumer spending further solidifies the Super Bowl's status as a major economic driver with heightened consumer interest and substantial sales. Furthermore, it showcases the significant impact that the Super Bowl has on American culture; many people have begun to view the Super Bowl as a holiday they must cater to and spend on every year.
Americans have also come to look forward to halftime performances and advertisements more than football. For example, Usher's halftime performance and Taylor Swift's attendance made more headlines than the outcome of the game. Swift was displayed for less than a minute and was there to support her partner, Travis Kelce, but many people were outraged by her presence and the spotlight on her. Some individuals aggressively criticized and ridiculed Swift for her screen time, although it was beyond her control. This shift in focus from the game itself to the halftime performances and advertisements has led to the event becoming a cultural event centered around entertainment and celebrity appearances rather than a sporting one. This clashing dichotomy often sparks heated debates and further highlights the changing dynamics surrounding America's biggest sporting event.