The Superbowl 2022 is a textbook case of business in sport. Discover what goes on behind the scenes of this major sporting event, where the economic stakes are colossal.
The NFL, leader in sports business in the United States
The number 1 sport in the United States, Football is the talk of the town every year, with its Superbowl attracting hundreds of millions of viewers every year. As the world's richest sports league and the dominant leader of the American Big 4 (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL), the NFL Superbowl is one of the world's most-watched sporting events, despite the league's difficulties in expanding internationally.
"In France, people often think that basketball is the king sport in the United States, the NBA being an internationally recognized brand. But it's important to understand that American soccer has historically been the most watched sport in the US. Audiences for a regular-season NFL game are much higher than for the NBA finals. Football is a sport that is rooted in American culture." Peter Anderson, journalist and commentator on L'Equipe TV, in his interview with Carine Galli, journalist and host of the Rendez-vous Sport Business of ISG Sport Business Management.
In 2019 (before the covid crisis), the NFL recorded $15.9 billion in sales, mainly from their staggering TV partnerships and impressive number of sponsors.By comparison, the Premier League (England's leading soccer league) posted sales of $4.5 billion in the same year.US sport therefore remains a major market for sports business worldwide, despite its lack of international audience and recognition.
Superbowl 2022: a record audience
This year, the Los Angeles Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 in the 56th Superbowl. The Rams became champions for the second time in their history at home in a sold-out SoFi Stadium. In 2022, the audience again broke records. The 2022 Superbowl is estimated to attract 117 million viewers, which would make it the most-watched edition in history ahead of 2015's 114 million.
These statistics represent more than one in four American households, and demonstrate the impressive dominance of the NFl in the American league market. The sport's popularity has also grown in France: 421,000 French viewers tuned in to the L'Equipe channel to watch the match, despite the time difference (2 a.m.).
Superbowl Half-time show: where pop culture meets sports
It's hard to talk about the Superbowl without mentioning its half-time show. Every year, international superstars perform to packed stadiums. This year, hip-hop stars Eminem, Snoop Doog, 50 Cents, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar and Dr. Dre shared the stage in a truly memorable concert. Surely the most-watched half-time show in the world, the staging of concerts on this scale has a clear impact on the popularity of the event worldwide, monopolizing interactions on social networks. The presence of pop culture stars cultivates the global dimension of this event, making it resonate beyond the world of sport.
Superbowl 2022: an activation paradise for brands
The Superbowl is also a commercial showcase for brands, who don't hesitate to invest in spots designed especially for the event. Commercials are an integral part of the show, and the 30-second broadcast is estimated to cost 6.5 million euros, making these advertising slots the most expensive on the TV market. This year, 56 different advertisers were present, and $504 million was invested for a total of 75 minutes of advertising throughout the event!
This article was published on ISG Sport Business Management website: link
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