The Super Bowl took place just a couple of days ago, and it came down to the final seconds in order to decide the victor. The Kansas City Chiefs eventually won the Vince Lombardi Trophy, 38-35. But, another detail really struck me as surprising: the amount of ads that took place. 

It is very well known that the Super Bowl HalfTime Show displays some of the greatest singers of our current generation. Performing on this show is also a great accomplishment because of the popularity associated with it. However, throughout the entire match, there were so many ads that were run outside of the half-time show, Any small delay or stoppage in the game seemed to be filled in with some sort of ad. This got me wondering, how has the Super Bowl changed since its beginnings? Furthermore, how prioritized are ads in its creation?

The Super Bowl is definitely one of the most intense events, but by introducing ads in every single break, it takes away from the match as a whole. There are so many elements that go into each of the plays and referee calls. No other major sports or sporting event has so many interruptions. Look at FIFA World Cup, Champions League, Tennis Grand Slams, Formula 1, Cricket, Hockey, no game is stopped a hundred times to show commercials. So it begs the question if the Super Bowl is really a sporting event or an entertainment and commercials hub?

Furthermore, if, rather than ads, the organizers included more fan interactions or more statistics provided, that would help understand the game better or create a more interactive experience. This would, once again, contribute to the interesting experience that head committees look for. These are the types of additions that I feel would create greater viewing.

My point is to not to argue that the sports should not be commercialized. At the end of the day, advertisers pour in money to make an event as impressive as they are. But it becomes a pain when we see the Super Bowl turning into a glamor showcase and sports lovers like me have to wait frustratingly for 4 hours to see a match complete, which otherwise would not have taken more than 1.5 hours. 

Advertisement