THE STATES STOP: THE SUPER BOWL IS COMING

The Super Bowl is the final match of the NFL (National Football League) championship, the professional American football league. This event is one of the most significant in America, with the power to bring together family and friends, but it is also one of the most-watched worldwide, given its spectacular, made-in-the-USA nature. It is usually held between the end of January and the beginning of February, regularly registering the highest television ratings in the United States.

The NFL uses Roman numerals to indicate each edition of the Super Bowl; the only exception was made for the fiftieth, where the Arabic numeral 50 was used instead of the Roman L because in American slang, the letter “L” is associated with the word “loser.”

The trophy is the Vince Lombardi Trophy, a football entirely made of silver in a “kick-off position,” created by Tiffany jewelry. It was named in 1971 after the famous Italian-American head coach, shortly after his sudden death, to commemorate his victories in the first two Super Bowls leading the Green Bay Packers.

The next edition, the 57th, will take place on Sunday in Glendale, Arizona, between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles. For the Chiefs, this will be their third Super Bowl in 4 years; the Eagles aim for a repeat five years after winning their first title in 2018 against the New England Patriots.

For the first time, two African American quarterbacks, Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts, will face off; additionally, for the first time, two brothers, Jason (Philadelphia Eagles) and Travis (Kansas City Chiefs) Kelce, will play against each other. For both quarterbacks, the stakes are high: Mahomes can become the first African American player in this position to win twice, while Hurts can become the fourth to triumph in the Super Bowl, after Doug Williams broke the “glass ceiling” in 1987. Also notable is the fact that Kansas City’s coach, Andy Reid, will challenge Philadelphia, the city where he built his sports career.

What catches the eye and makes the Super Bowl magical, however, is the Halftime Show, the musical performance that takes place during the break between the 2nd and 3rd quarters. Since the 1990s, it has been organized in grand style, featuring nationally and internationally famous artists. The artists were exclusively American until 1999, when, at Super Bowl XXXIV, two non-American artists, Phil Collins and Enrique Iglesias, performed for the first time. This year, Rihanna will perform during the halftime at State Farm Stadium in Glendale.

Although the NFL does not pay the artist a fee, the performance greatly contributes to increasing sales of their music: in 2017, Lady Gaga’s sales increased by over 1,000%, and the following year, Justin Timberlake’s sales rose by 534%.

The performance by Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake at Super Bowl XXXVIII in 2004 made history and caused much controversy in the media due to the “Nipplegate” incident when, due to what the singer called a “wardrobe malfunction,” Jackson was left with a bare breast on live television and in worldwide broadcasting, which was enough for the NFL to air future editions with a few minutes delay to censor any inappropriate images or texts.

The performance with the highest audience was Michael Jackson’s at Super Bowl XXVII: with his 13-minute performance, Jackson brought the Super Bowl audience to 133.4 million in the United States, while over 1.4 billion viewers tuned in across 85 countries worldwide.

One of the most significant performances in recent years was that of Jennifer Lopez and Shakira in the spring of 2020: in a climate of political instability during President Trump’s administration, two Latin-American artists performed in defense of associations supporting the migration of foreigners, in one of the most important American events with a show and a political message to millions of viewers worldwide.

To get an idea of the economic value of the Super Bowl, the largest American companies, and not only, compete every year for a 30-second ad spot worth 5-6 million dollars each: in 2021, advertising revenues generated about 545 million dollars. The price of commercials has grown exponentially, as for the very first Super Bowls held around the 1970s, the same spots were worth around 42,000 dollars. The protagonists are usually celebrities: this year, one of the commercials will feature boxing star Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, as well as Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul returning as Walt and Jesse from “Breaking Bad,” in addition to rapper Jack Harlow with a Doritos commercial.

E-Trade, Bridgestone, and especially Pepsi are the companies that have sponsored the halftime shows over the years, recognizing the huge visibility they offer. In 2023, Apple Music will be the sponsor of the show, with a contract signed with the league worth between 40 and 50 million dollars.

Talking about the cost of a ticket to attend the Super Bowl in person, you’ll need to spend at least 1,000 dollars for a seat in the last ring, but the average cost is about 10,237 dollars, with prices reaching over 72,000 dollars for the best seats, just a few meters from the field.

In short, the hype surrounding this event is of global scale, even for us Italians, who will have to stay up all night to watch it. But, with these premises, it will definitely be worth it.