On the second Sunday of February, February 9, 2025, the entire United States will almost completely stop all entertainment activities, so that everyone can focus on the biggest sporting event in the land of the flag: Super Bowl LIX. An icon of American culture!
The defending champion Kansas City Chiefs will face the Philadelphia Eagles. The 59th edition of Super Bowl will be the eighth time the Superdome in New Orleans has hosted the legendary game and will extend the stadium’s record for the most Super Bowls. As the Super Bowl approaches, join TT&VH in delving into its origins, history and transformation into the biggest game in American and world sports.
Where did the Super Bowl originate?
The Super Bowl began in 1966 when the American Football League (AFL) and the National Football League (NFL) merged into a single organization. The NFL was once considered the pinnacle of professional football, while the AFL introduced a new and more innovative style of football.
The rivalry between the two leagues prompted the merger and a decision was made that the champions of the AFL and NFL would face off at a neutral site for the ultimate trophy. The first Super Bowl was held on January 15, 1967, between the Green Bay Packers (NFL) and the Kansas City Chiefs (AFL). The game was called the “First AFL-NFL Championship Game.” The Green Bay Packers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 35-10.
After the merger was completed, the popularity of the game skyrocketed. Lamar Hunt, former owner of the Kansas City Chiefs and a founding member of the AFL, suggested calling the championship game the “Super Bowl” after watching his son play with a “Super Ball” toy (a bouncy plastic ball made by Wham-O).
Although the original plan was to come up with a better name, the name “Super Bowl” caught on and has stuck ever since. The 2025 Super Bowl will be the 59th edition of the biggest and most popular game in the United States.
Super Bowl – The Finale of Two Styles
When it comes to large-scale events that capture the attention of the American public, nothing compares to the Super Bowl. For nearly 60 years, the Super Bowl has been an American cultural icon, and that will certainly continue as the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Philadelphia Eagles this weekend.
For an event to be commercially and economically successful, it needs to be deeply rooted in the cultural fabric. The Super Bowl has become an unofficial holiday in the United States, with people from all over tuning in to watch the pinnacle of sports.
The biggest reason behind the Super Bowl’s rise in popularity is the inherent rivalry between the AFL and the NFL. The NFL is seen as the “mecca” of professional football, while the AFL’s innovative, free-flowing style of play is often underrated. The AFL’s desire to excel and the fierce rivalry between the two leagues have created a fiercely competitive championship game.
When the deciding game is played in a single game, rather than a seven-game series like the World Series or the NBA Finals, the underdogs have a chance to win. This was demonstrated when the New York Jets became the first AFL team to win a third Super Bowl, taking the tournament to a new level of excitement.
“It was fundamentally effective,” said Simon, a professor of American social history at Temple University. “I think that was a big factor. There was only one game, and it was a win-lose game. If you were a baseball fan, you needed to watch all seven games. The Super Bowl was a simple game, and you know, football is complicated, but it’s also easy to follow. The scores are easy to understand, there’s an element of chaos—it all comes together to create an enthralling mix.”
The first Super Bowl between the Green Bay Packers and the Kansas City Chiefs struggled to attract crowds, as fans were not used to traveling to a neutral venue. However, on television, the first game attracted about 50 million viewers. Thanks to the increase in population and the number of households owning televisions in the US, the number of Super Bowl viewers has gradually increased.
The important turning point came when the NFL decided to hold the game in prime time after 6 pm from 1978 (US time). According to Forbes, this move attracted an additional 10 million viewers and the audience continued to grow. In 2024, the Super Bowl reached more than 123.4 million viewers on broadcasting platforms, the most in the history of Super Bowl matches.
The Super Bowl and a typical American cultural phenomenon
More specifically, the Super Bowl is not only a sporting event but also developed into an entertainment phenomenon, in which the halftime show plays a major role. Initially, these were just non-commercial performances by college bands. The first big stage came at the 1986 Super Bowl between the Chicago Bears and the New England Patriots. However, it wasn’t until 1993 that the halftime show really took off when the King of Pop Michael Jackson performed at Super Bowl XXVII. It was the first time that the halftime show’s viewership surpassed the main game, turning the event into an American pop culture phenomenon.
Since then, music icons like Beyoncé, Pitbull, Coldplay, Rihanna, Shakira, Jennifer Lopez and many others have turned the Super Bowl into a music festival. In 2023, Rihanna’s performance broke records, becoming the most-watched halftime show with 118.7 million viewers. This year, rapper Kendrick Lamar will be performing at the Super Bowl. Seth Dudowsky, NFL music director, also explained why Kendrick Lamar was chosen to perform at the 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show: “Few artists have had a more profound impact on music and culture than Kendrick Lamar. Time and again, Kendrick has proven his unique ability to create iconic moments, redefine and ultimately shake the foundations of hip-hop.” And if there was any controversy about Kendrick Lamar’s presence at the Super Bowl, the 2025 Grammys are the answer. At this prestigious music award, Kendrick Lamar won both Record of the Year and Song of the Year, and he swept the Grammys with a total of 5 wins.
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