How Did the Super Bowl Get So Big? | Sports City

Summary

In the debut episode of Sports City, Bloomberg sports business reporter Randall Williams previews Super Bowl week from San Francisco and traces how the Super Bowl grew into the biggest business in sports. The episode covers the game's 1969 naming, Michael Jackson's 1993 halftime show that turned the event into a dual-audience advertising magnet, and its current scale: Super Bowl 59 as the most-watched US broadcast since the prior Super Bowl, $1.25 billion in economic impact for New Orleans and Louisiana, and NBC pre-selling 90% of ad inventory at a record $8 million per 30-second spot. The through-line is that broadcasters pay billions for rights, advertisers pay millions for seconds, and owners rebuild stadiums for the chance to host.

• Randall Williams hosts the first episode of Sports City ahead of the Super Bowl in San Francisco.
• Super Bowl 59 was the most-watched US TV broadcast since the previous Super Bowl.
• Super Bowl week generated $1.25 billion in economic impact for New Orleans and Louisiana.
• NBC pre-sold 90% of Super Bowl ad inventory at a record average of $8 million per 30 seconds.
• The game's name traces to Lamar Hunt in 1969, while Michael Jackson's 1993 halftime show added mass music audiences.
• Halftime sponsorship, starting with Frito-Lay, turned the show into prime advertising real estate.
• Broadcasters pay billions for rights, advertisers pay millions for seconds, and owners rebuild stadiums to attract the event.