Super Bowl, Super Viewership

Big TV Event, Really Big!

If big numbers get your attention, wrap your head around these head-spinning figures: Americans spent a record 111 billion minutes on Sunday, February 11, 2024, watching Super Bowl LVIII on TV. This astronomical number is because the Super Bowl was the most-watched US broadcast of the year, with a record-breaking 123 million viewers – not surprising considering every Super Bowl since 2010 has had over 100 million viewers. In comparison, the 2024 Academy Awards had approximately 19.5 million viewers, and no doubt the NFL rules: The 2024 College Football Championship attracted 25.1 million viewers.

Join the Party!

Super Bowl Sunday has ascended to holiday status, a get-together where the actual game is necessary, although not always the best football. The more appropriate term might be ‘watch party’, where viewers are tuning in for a myriad of reasons – the fellowship of like-minded friends who ask ‘Who’s playing?’, to the many who are watching to see how their wager on a team or proposition turns out and talk about big money! Last year, the American Gaming Association estimated US adults put up an estimated $23.1 billion in bets. But for many of us, it is all about those high-priced 30-second commercials.

The 7 Million Dollar Half-Minute

Advertisers in this year’s game on Fox will reportedly pay $7,000,000 for airing a 30-second spot, a figure that has held steady for the third year in a row. According to Variety, Fox Corp. sold out of all its commercial slots in August. Although the teams for this year’s Super Bowl are not finalized until the end of January, social media presence by companies who will be advertising in the game started before the playoffs. Häagen-Dazs will be running for the first time, and their teaser featured a Chevy…can’t wait; GoDaddy continues its Super Bowl presence with an ad featuring the reveal of an ‘unknown person’ behind the wheel of a vehicle…Danica, maybe? The Manning brothers return for FanDuel in a kicking contest where lucky fans will share a $10M Bonus Bet. Party-tray hint: serve Ritz Crackers, they will be featured in a commercial for the first time.

Get In the Game!

If you are a business owner with a local marketing plan, should it include advertising on Super Bowl Sunday? Strong Automotive Media Director Liz Elder said, “Maybe. It really depends on the market, your budget, and the spot costs. Costs vary greatly from market to market. Each market should be evaluated independently. A more cost-effective option may be to utilize a streaming and online video campaign on ESPN Digital to reach NFL Football enthusiasts.” If you want to explore these options, Elder said there is still time available to join in. You won’t be alone. In reviewing the past 13 years of Super Bowl Streaming Viewership, StreamingMediaBlog.com presented a graph with a continuous growth from 508K in 2013 to 8.5M in 2024.

Monday Morning Quarterbacks

There will be plenty of post-game analysis by the talking heads, debating the analytics of why a team won or lost by going for it on 4^th down. But even more certain will be the national focus on what commercials were the best and what messages bombed – it’s a high bar for excellence. Take a moment to Google ‘Top Super Bowl commercials all-time’ and see how many you remember and agree with for being classic. Whether the spot featured the Clydesdale horses, babies talking Wall Street, cowboys herding cats, or a young fan offering Mean Joe his Coke, they are mini-masterpieces with unique messages and amazing execution.

All-Stars All Day

What fascinates the public when viewing a yearly event designated by Roman numerals? Super Bowl LIX will be February 9, with viewer engagement from early Game Day previews to the pre-kickoff ceremonies where you can bet on how long it will take Jon Batiste to perform the National Anthem to the half-time spectacular showcasing Kendrick Lamar. We will get game analysis from Tom Brady making his Super Bowl commentary debut. Without a doubt, commercials will be talked about and evaluated for effectiveness. It’s a big day, so big that legislators in Tennessee are working on a law to make the day after Super Bowl Sunday a holiday. Great idea, it could be the true measuring stick of how effective a “Monday Only!” advertisement really could be!