Sheldon Jacobson: This year’s Super Bowl offers something for everyone

Super Bowl LVIII will be held Feb. 11, with the San Francisco 49ers out of the NFC facing off against the Kansas City Chiefs out of the AFC. This is rematch of Super Bowl LIV, when the Chiefs rallied from a 10 point deficit in the fourth quarter to defeat the 49ers 31-20.

Super Bowl LVIII is the fourth appearance for the Chiefs over the past five Super Bowls. Super Bowl LIV also provided the Chief’s quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, his first Super Bowl ring and first Super Bowl MVP (he added a second in Super Bowl LVII last year).

The Super Bowl has become more than just a game. It is many things to different people, depending on their interests. This is why the Super Bowl is one of the most widely watched events in the world, with 100 million viewers the norm for many years.

Much like the folk tale of how the blind men described an elephant in different ways, the same can be said about the Super Bowl. Here are some of the varied reasons why people will tune into Super Bowl LVIII.

Marketing and advertisements

Many companies use the Super Bowl to launch new products and provide a memorable advertisement that attracts the interest of consumers. An entire history of such ads exists, making it easy for viewers to see what was broadcast in past Super Bowls. The cost of a 30 second spot typically runs in the millions of dollars, given the viewership numbers and the breadth of exposure. This year, the cost is estimated to be between $6.5 million and $7 million, with ample takers available to sell out all the time slots.

After the game, advertisements are ranked by their innovation and viewer appreciation, adding even more exposure for the companies who paid top dollar for their spot in the game. A list of the top 25 advertisement of all time has been compiled, with an Apple ad in 1984 launching Macintosh taking the top spot. As we have seen, these ads aren’t just marketing vehicles, they are themselves benchmarks that capture the evolution of our culture.

Halftime show entertainment

The half-time show (typically running 12-15 minutes) is a must see for anyone interested in the very latest music artists and performance. The planning for the show takes a team effort, given that the performance must be comfortably encapsulated within the actual game half time, which lasts 30 minutes. This year, Usher will be center stage to make the half time show memorable for all.

Gambling

The Super Bowl is the single most gambled upon game of the year. The number of betting sites available for this year’s game is long. In 2023, $16 billion was wagered on the game. Given the proliferation of sports gambling, coupled with the game being played in Las Vegas, this year’s game will certainly be the single largest wagered Super Bowl game in history. It will also hold its place amongst all sports events, with the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, commonly known as March Madness, the only event that has comparable numbers.

Taylor Swift

Pop and country music icon Taylor Swift will be at the game (provided she can get from her concert in Tokyo to the game venue in Las Vegas), rooting for her boyfriend, Kansas City Chief tight end Travis Kelce. Swift has singlehandedly enhanced the image of professional football with young women. She has also raised the angst among some conservatives, with some believing that she can influence voters with her liberal-leaning beliefs. Viewership of Chiefs games has been up this year, largely attributed to Swift’s presence, along with an estimated $331 million in extra revenue. Her impact on the Super Bowl game may be just as significant and far reaching.

America’s game

For sports fans, the game is still the focal point of the event. This year, the top ranked team from the NFC faces off against the Chiefs, who are appearing in four of the past five Super Bowls.

Most of the recent games have been competitive, with the winner of 17 of the past 21 Super Bowls still undecided entering the fourth quarter.

No matter who wins the game, the many faces of the Super Bowl make it a “must see” event for many people. That is why over 50 million viewers from outside the United States will likely tune into the game, with the demographics covering all age groups.

Whether it is a Patrick Mahomes magic play, Brock Purdy showing that you do not need to be a first round pick in the NFL draft to lead a team to the Super Bowl championship (think Tom Brady as the 199th overall pick), or Taylor Swift showing up at the game, the event is worth a bit of everyone’s time.

Sheldon Jacobson is a computer science professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.