January 15, 1967. The Birth of the Super Bowl
At the time it wasn’t even called the Super Bowl, and it did not feature a Roman numeral I in its advertising. It was the AFL-NFL World Championship Game and although some of the many broadcasters referred to it in commentary as a super bowl it was not so designated. It featured, as have many Super Bowls, a relatively uninteresting game after the first half and even though it was broadcast on two national television networks – NBC and CBS – none of its commercials were of particular note. Neither was the halftime show, which featured the marching bands from the University of Arizona and Grambling University accompanying trumpeter Al Hirt. It was not a sold-out game.
A thirty second television commercial cost $42,000, equivalent to about $308,000 today. By comparison, a thirty-second spot in 2017 costs between $5 million and $5.5 million, not taking into account the production costs, which for some companies is substantial.
The Super Bowl, whether one buys into its hype, its game, or the NFL in general, changed America. For many, it is the true national holiday. For others, it is the official end of the winter holiday season which begins with Thanksgiving. Throughout the holidays’ football plays a role, with the build-up reaching its climax not simply with the Super Bowl, but with its parties, its TV commercial extravaganza, and its flashy halftime show.
Although in recent years interest in the NFL has shown signs of waning, with TV ratings and game attendance both declining, interest in the final game of the NFL season remains strong. The teams contending for the championship have become almost an afterthought for most fans unless their personal favorite is playing. Instead, it is the great national event in which everyone – or nearly everyone – is in some way taking part.
It is the most gambled-on event annually in the United States. It is the second-largest day of food consumption. Over 1.3 billion – yes, with a B – chicken wings are consumed on Super Bowl Sunday. Four million pizzas go down American gullets, helped with over 50 million cases of beer. All on a single Sunday afternoon and evening.
Sources For Further Reading:
EDN – The First Mobile Phone Call Is Made, April 3, 1973
History Channel – Why the Purchase of Alaska Was Far From ‘Folly’
Survey Monkey – Why Are the NFL’s TV Ratings Declining? Here’s What Our Survey Data Tells Us