Co-written with Kevin McNamara
On Sunday, Feb. 4 at 6:30 p.m ET, Super Bowl 52 between the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles will air on NBC. Every year, record-breaking amounts of people watch the Super Bowl; according to this Newsweek report, 111.3 million watched last year.
Some of the people watching are the students of Western Carolina University. The reasons that they tune in and the way that they watch may vary, but one thing remains consistent, most of them are watching.
Team loyalties play a big part in the Super Bowl as some people dislike one team or another or are unabashed fans. Of the people that we talked to, only one person was rooting for the Patriots, but they have been a fan for years. The Patriots won them over after they claimed retribution for their local team which was beaten earlier on in the season.
Many people are using the game as an opportunity to get together with friends. WCU student, Matthew Howie, said, “the party is Saturday” rather than on Sunday, the actual day of the Super Bowl.
According to this Sports Illustrated article, Richard Deitsch tweeted out:
“An NBC Sports ad exec said today that the network will average more than $5 million for a 30-second spot for the Super Bowl.”
That sort of money comes from advertisers understanding that this is going to be the most watched event of the year, as well as NBC and the NFL knowing that they can charge whatever they want for the airtime. The reception to the ads is usually positive as well.
Many of the people interviewed said that they were excited about the expensive commercials. WCU junior, Mac Hoffman, even said that he is “going in blind,” meaning that he has avoided watching the ads beforehand to get the experience of the ads in the game itself.
The broadcast is presumed to be a resounding success regardless of the outcome of the game due to the long and storied history of memorable halftime shows, ads, and sports spectacle.
This year’s halftime performance may be memorable, as well, as singer/actor Justin Timberlake will take the stage for the first time since his performance with Janet Jackson in 2004.
Fans in any likeness, whether it be for the ads or the game itself, will have something to look forward to.
