As a Bears fan Duffka had a tough time deciding who to cheer for. Typically, I support the team that knocked my team out of the playoffs. This time I became a Steelers fan. Both teams have a solid defense, great special teams, and a solid quarterback. The Bears are very similar--except for Cutler getting hit the most of any NFL quarterback.
On to the economics of the Super Bowl. This year, the National Retail Federation, NRF, estimates that $10.1 billion will be spent on the Super Bowl, that’s up from $8.87 billion in 2010, and almost double the $5.8 billion people spent last year on Halloween. The game was watched by over 130 million people in over 200 countries. An ad cost $3 million for 30 seconds plus the cost to create the ad. It would make sense that really only international products from oligopolisitc industries that engage in international trade would pay for the ad time(Coke, Pepsi, VW, Kia, Snickers, Doritos, etc). If you calculate the cost per minute and divide by the number of viewers it seems even more efficient to advertise during the Super Bowl. By the way, Dallas thinks that the Super Bowl added $400,000,000 to the local economy.
Some other interesting information regarding the Super Bowl:
$5.6 billion: Amount consumers will spend on Super Bowl related items.
$400 million: Amount of money added to the local economy because of the game.
35%: Ticket holders writing-off the game as a business expense.
$12,500: Price Tiffany charges to produce the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
$2.8 million: Cost for a 30-second advertisment slot during the game.
20.5: Number of minutes worth of ads it would take to pay for a new
Sun Stadium at that rate.
45: Number of minutes worth advertisements during last year's game.
41%: Percent of Super Bowl viewers surveyed who will re-watch this year's ads online.
2.9 million: Number of HD TVs bought for the Super Bowl in 2009.
AND WHAT ABOUT THOSE SUPER BOWL PARTIES? 41: Days in advance, on average, Super Bowl plans are made.
20 million: Number of Americans attending a Super Bowl party.
17: Average number of people attending each party.
5%: Percent of people who watch the big game alone.
40%: Percent of Super Bowl viewers who are not football fans.
25%: Percent of women who watch the game and enjoy it.
10 million: Number of man-hours spent preparing food for the Super
Bowl party.
10 million: Number of man-hours spent making the movie
Avatar.
Duffka asks readers to comment on the economics of the Super Bowl. Did you watch the commercials? Which commercials did you like and why? What about the game? Why is it more popular than any other single sporting event?
Super Bowl 2011 Ads
I think it's crazy to spend millions for a 30 second Super Bowl commercial even though it might make you sell more products. I loved the game and the commercials. Some of my favorites included ones by Doritos, Pepsi and Sketchers of course. Obviously this was a great Super Bowl and the greatest team in the world came out on top.
ReplyDeleteMy two favorite ads were the Doritos ad with the lug and the Bud Light home makeover commercial. In my opinion i thought the Super Bowl had some pretty quality ads this year that were generally very funny. Being a Packers fan, of course I was happy with the outcome of the game, and my dad is happy which means that he's in a good mood, which translates into a spending mood, which makes me even happier. Football is America's sport, so when the Superbowl is on, obvi everybody is watching.
ReplyDeleteNo, I did not watch the game because the Packers were playing so I did not see any of the commercials. The superbowl is the greatest watched sports event because it is practically an American holiday. Thank you for my Monday participation points.
ReplyDeleteI watched most of the commercials and I liked the one when the girl in the studio told the guy to type exactly what he was thinking, and he typed that he thought his girlfriend had a nice rack. I think this sporting event is more popular because. In football only one game a week per team is played so people don't get sick of it. As opposed to baseball which is played basically everyday.
ReplyDeleteI don't think it is worth spending all that money on a 30 second commercial when a lot of people already knew those businesses existed, like doritos and pepsi. One of my favorite commercials where the pepsi max one with the runner who gets a pepsi max thrown at her head when it was supposed to go to her husband.
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ReplyDeleteI didn't watch the game or the commercials. I think a big part of why the super bowl is so widely watched and adored is it's an excuse for people to get together, have fun, watch enjoyable commercials for once, and eat a lot of food. For retail companies, as Duffka stated above, its more efficient for them to advertise during the super bowl than during anything else. For me, the kitty halftime show during the puppy bowl on animal planet was far more superior than anything else on tv yesterday. I especially liked the obvious extremely low production value of the whole thing.
ReplyDeleteI think today watching thhe commercials for the superbowl is just as exciting as watching the game for many viewers. I really liked the doritos commercial. The superbowl is more popular than any other event because it just has a reputation for Americans to plan parties and eat a lot of food in front of the tv. Its a good time.
ReplyDeleteI did not watch the super bowl this year but I did watch last year and it was interesting. Of course I had no idea what was going on in the game but I liked the commercials and half time. I feel like the super bowl gets a bunch of hype that I really don't get why it does I mean it's not that interesting to me it seems like a football game. But it does make so much money from people actually wanting to be in the stadium and all the companies wanting to get their product out there. And since football is a sport everyone watched that a would be the best time. I think it's the most popular sport because people get so into rooting for their team and they like the contact of the sport. But mostly because they like going crazy for their home team.
ReplyDeleteI think its crazy to spend the money that was spent on the Superbowl. Especially with the turn out. I thought the game was knda boring. The commercials were good, but I thought last years' were better. I thought the Eminem, Pepsi, and Volkswagon commercials were all good. Overall, the wrong team won, and the Bears should have been in it.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure it's really practical to pay so much for a commercial, even if there are so many viewers. Although some may be funny, it doesn't make me any more likely to buy a bag of Dorito's just because they had a funny commercial. I did enjoy the Bud Light and Volkswagen commercials, though. The game wasn't that exciting, in my opinion, since I didn't really care who won.
ReplyDeleteMy communist shirt restricted me from watching the super bowl
ReplyDeleteI didn't watch the actual superbowl this year, since I'm not really a football fan, but I did watch some of the commercials on YouTube. The commercials I liked were the ones that were either impressively done (like Coca Cola's "Siege" commercial) or were funny (for example, Pepsi's "First Date" commercial). I cant say it made me want to buy pepsi over Coke, but I did like the commercial. I think the Superbowl is more popular because it requires strategy re than anything, and men are testosterone filled and like when people get the crap beat out of them, to put it lightly.
ReplyDeleteI think the super bowl is hyped up more and more every year. comparing numbers to other events like Halloween, the amount spent on the super bowl is ridiculous. It is like one big economy boost in one day, both for the local town and the nation. I think most people don't watch the game or care about the game and just really pay attention to the comercials. The amount spent on comercials is worth it when you break it down to per-capita.
ReplyDeleteAny commercial that was somewhat humorous to me is a good commercial. The game was stupid. But football overall is a great thing for the economy.
ReplyDeleteYes, I did watch most of the commercials for an entainment aspect. Yes, I also did watch the game. The super bowl is good way to have consumers spend money, which can help the economy grow. The product placement ads will encourage more consumers to purchase a given companies goods/services. The super bowl will also help the local economy, such as renting hotels and buying from local food chains. Also, I think the world cup is more popular, but in America the super bowl is most popular
ReplyDeleteI only watched the last quarter of the superbowl so I didn't see that many commercials. I think the commercials are more entertaining than the game though. I will probably watch some online later because Julia is telling me too. I think the superbowl is more popular because there's a lot of excitement that comes with it so people want to watch it and it's an excuse to have a party. It is good for the economy though because a lot of people have parties so they buy stuff and a lot of people stay in the town that it's in so it stimulates that town's economy.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, the super bowl brings in so much money because everybody watches it. People that don't like football will watch for the commercials. Some commercials were decent, but there were only about 2 or 3 that caught me laughing. As for the game, I think it great for the economy. It makes more money than any sporting event because unlike hockey or baseball, one game decides the super bowl champion.
ReplyDeleteI watch the commercials and feel that since the super bowl is such an overhyped event, and millions of people around the world watch every year, it is worth it for large oligopolies to spend $3 M for a commercial. If you create a funny commercial that people go on to talk about, tweet about, and blog about for weeks after the super bowl, the initial costs are well worth it.
ReplyDeleteI did watch the commercials and the game, but I had a little too much fun at my friends superbowl party and I don't really remember.I think it is more popular than any sporting event because of all the money and time spent on it. The superbowl helps the economy very much, MB>MC
ReplyDeleteI thought the superbowl ads were decent this year but i think that paying 2.8 million for a 30 second ad is insane.
ReplyDeleteI had not considered the indirect costs of the Superbowl and it's interesting to the various effects it has on the economy. I enjoyed the doritos commercials because they were funny. The game was alright. Halftime was terrible. I think that the Superbowl is the most popular single sporting in America because it's good excuse to be lazy and eat, just like Thanksgiving.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, the commercials are the best part of the super bowl. I feel like the super bowl is just another game and if our team isn't playing, there is no use in watching (except for maybe the 1/2 time show). My favorite commercial was the coke zero one where the couple was on a date and the girl was thinking, I wonder how much he makes, will he lose his hair? And the guy was like, will I get a coke zero? It was funny... You had to be there...
ReplyDeleteI feel like it's so popular because it's just something for people to have fun with. Just like people who go to movie premiers. You can see the movie at another time but it won't be as fun or exciting.
I believe that advertising during the superbowl is beneficial, as long as sufficient time is put into creating it and it takes into account the audience. I did not watch the superbowl, but only occasionally tuned in to see the score. Internationally, I think that the world cup attracts a significantly larger audience. On the other hand, I was surprised when some of my friends from Germany actually talked to me about the superbowl this weekend.
ReplyDeleteI watched the halftime ads and I thought theynwere pretty decnt. I do not think its worth it to spend that much money on commercials. I didn't watch then game but I know the packers won. The superbowl bring a lot of money into the economy with how much people spend on it.
ReplyDeleteI didnt watch the Super Bowl nor the commercials. I am not a fan of this game, but in United States it became a big part of the culture, and a tradition to get together with your friends/family and have sn extra reason to celebrate and have a good time. And it only happens once a year so its like a big deal.
ReplyDeleteThe superbowl brings in more money than any other sporting event because it is something that almost everyone watches even if try don't watch football regularly. My favorite commercial was the doritos one and i really liked the halftime show.
ReplyDeleteI didn't watch the superbowl or the commercials but qi feel like the superbowl has become a tradition half of the people that I know that watch don't know what's going on but it's become a big moneymaker.
ReplyDeleteI think it is ridiculous how much consumers spend on super bowl items since most of them will just throw them out. When you think about it, the super bowl is the most watched televised event. It makes sense for firms to pay that much money for a 30 second commercial since they know many consumers are watching the commercials, especially if they are funny.
ReplyDeleteI liked the doritos commercials. Those are always my favorite. I think it's funny how much money is spent on the superbowl, it really says something about what we value as a culture. I think the NFL has done a great job of making the maximum amount of profits that they can out of one game.
ReplyDeletei watched the game! i especially payed attention to the commercials. i liked the VW beetle commercial because it caught my attention with the intro of the beetle and other insects. i also liked the darth vader commercial for kia, it was cute and caught my emotion. i think that many people watch the superbowl because football is a nation wide tradition. people feel if they dont watch it, they will be left out. also, people have gh expectations with the commercials and plan on watching them. this is why companies are willing to oay a lot for ads during the game.
ReplyDeleteI didn't watch the superbowl or the commercials because I don't like football and I knew I could watch the commercials on Hulu later. I think that it will stimulate the economy because a lot of people spend a lot of money on things they wouldn't buy if there wasn't a superbowl.
ReplyDeleteI have never really watched the Superbowl, no matter how many people my brothers or parents had over that year. That statistic about 40% of people who watch that aren't football fans surprised me, the commercials I've always felt were never enough to make me sit through a game I didn't care about. The amount of money it takes to put an ad up during the Superbowl is a little overkill in my opinion, but then again I've never really been swayed by an advertisement anyway so that's why it seems kind of pointless to me. I'm sure those companies do some analysis into how much they should put into though and how much they'll get out of it so if it really works then great for them
ReplyDeleteMy favorite commercial was the darth vader volkswagon one. The game was pretty boring besides the last 30 minutes. I think that the superbowl is like an American tradition and almost everyone watches it even if they're not football fans.
ReplyDeleteI spent more time watching the commercials than the actual game. Literally everyone I was with talked during the game and when commercials came on we immediately shut up. I liked the brisk commercial with eminem because I like eminem and I liked the snickers commercial with the lumber jacks. I fell asleep half way through the game because I didn't want to be awake for when the packers won
ReplyDeleteI did watch them. I liked the doritos commercials the best and I did watch the super bowl even the they way it turned out sucked. It's football. Every other sport is soft. Who doesn't like watching people hit eachother.
ReplyDeleteDidn't watch the game, but I would say it is worth it to spend that much money on commercials. A wide variety of consumers watch the ads because of the game, which promotes the companies products to the tons of people which ultimately increases their sales revenue
ReplyDeleteI did watch the superbowl! I also watched the commercials and thought they were decent compared to previous years. My favorites are always the e trade babies. The superbowl is such a big deal because America is the best and football is the best.
ReplyDeleteI think the Super Bowl seems to be hyped up much more than it should. Of course if my team is not playing then I don't enjoy the game as much but I do enjoy getting together with friends and hanging out. This year, I was mainly looking forward to commercials but they were a huge disappointment. Very few commercials stood out over the others. My favorite was the star wars commercial and I also enjoyed the pepsi max commercials.
ReplyDeleteI watched close to every minute of the super bowl, including the ads. I enjoyed the perennial favorites like Doritos and the e-trade babies, they usually appeal to the slapstick and humorous nature super bowl watchers would receive well. The game was disappointing in result, although very competitive and fun. I believe the super bowl may be the most popular sporting event because everything is extravagant and it gives other nations a snapshot, however inaccurate, of America and our culture.
ReplyDeleteGO PACK GO. The superbowl has become an American tradition and part if our culture where everyone, football fans or not, come together to have a good time. Just as entertaining as the game (and the packers winning the game) are the commercials and how much money is spent on this one game. The darth vader commercial was hands down the best and cutest one! Because of all the viewers, companies are willing to spend millions for a 30 second commercial, which is kind of pathetic. It was definitely worth watching the PACKERS WIN and knowing duffka was crying......... :)
ReplyDeleteLike most people I watch the super bowl because I am a football fan. This super bowl was different because I hated both teams that were in the super bowl so I probably paid more attention to the ads rather than the game my favorite commercial was Probably the doritos one were one guy lick the others finger. People probably watch the super bowl because everyone else is.
ReplyDeleteThe super bowl gets bigger and bigger every year, most people make a huge deal out of it. It's an American sport so even if you aren't a football fan you watch it anyways because it's all that's talked about the following Monday. I think it's crazy to pay that much for a commercial but it's what a good portion of people watch it for. My favorite ads were the darth vader and the doritos one.
ReplyDeleteI didn't watch the superbowl but I heard the halftime show didn't exceed great expectations. I think the superbowl is such a money maker because it's been developed over the years like a snowball. People put their whole lives aside for this day and we don't really know why. It's just 2 teams playing each other. I could be bias bc I don't understand football but the meaning behind it doesn't get any more significant as the years go on..
ReplyDeleteI really liked the diorites commercial wi that the finger sucking, the diorites commercial bringing stuff back to life, and the pepsin commercial when they are on a date because they are really funny and I lugged a lot. The game was aight, altho i highly disliked the outcome of it. And proll cuz it's an American sport and there are less games of it in a season than most other sports and it's just the greatest sport ever.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed many of the commercials this year, especially the Pepsi Max and Darth Vader commercials. Others weren't worth the $3 million. Football is a mostly American sport, and the Superbowl is where the best teams of the season play. Even those who do not enjoy football can sit around, hang put with friends and eat.
ReplyDeleteI actually DVRed the entire game and fast forwarded through the terrible football game because I didn't want to watch such a terrible team play and inevitably win. I only watched the commercials and halftime show. My favorite commercial was the Pepsimax "Love Hurts" commercial, even if I would probably never use the product. Doritos and Bud also had some good commercials, but it makes the most sense these three would advertise heavily during the game since these are common football snacks (bud and doritos for the fans, with doritos and pepsi for the designated drivers).
ReplyDeleteFirst the first time ever, I actually watched the Super Bowl and have to say I actually enjoyed it quite a bit! It didn't matter too much on who won as long as it was a good game making it more entertaining. Each teach had their own strengths, but as an overall team, I'd say the Steelers are better. The Packers got their 3 touchdowns in the first half resulting in the 3 - 21 score that carried them all the way through the second half, but the Steelers really pulled together and really made some awesome runs!
ReplyDeleteCommercial wise, it's a great way to put your company's name out there as long as you're able to pay for it. The revenue resulting from just those commercials alone far outweigh the costs. As a great example, even my family wanted to get Pizza Hut for the game before and especially after we saw the commercial for the dippers.
Also, the Star Wars car commercial was my favorite. It's universal as it combines geekdom, cars, children, and parenting that almost anyone can relate to in one way or another. The d'aww factor was also quite a bit point.
I watched the game and was very disappointed. The halftime show sucked and the packers won. We all know the super bowl should have been the patriots and the falcons or eagles. None of the commercials were good either. Budweiser always has good commercials as the game's official sponsor. Pepsi also has good commercials as well as doritos, who pepsi owns. I only liked the star wars on, but even so the commercial was that good. I still remember the good ones from last year, none stood out this year, just like the game and the halftime show.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately I was only able to attend part of th game due to work, and I'm more interested in the food/social interactions then the game or commercials (I couldn't bare to watch the packers win) One of the main reasons I believe the superbowl recorded so many viewers, is partly because people enjoy football, also it is only one game as opposed to a series. Also it has become part of our national identity and almost a holiday.
ReplyDeleteI watched the superbowl and all of the ads. First of all, the ads that stand out the most in my mind are the doritos ads. I thought overall Doritos had the funniest commercials and therefore the most successful. In my opinion commercials that are funny will gain the most appreciation from the superbowl audience. As for why this particular game is the most sporting event, I have often asked myself that. Im not sure why everyone makes the superbowl such a big deal, unless of course your home team is in the running. I guess the main reasons for watching are to see what the best team in the NFL is, for the simple enjoyment that watching football brings, and of course, for the commcials.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite commercials was the bud light one and the beetle car one. Every commercial was either for beer or for cars. We had all the most American foods such as pizza, wings, mozzarella sticks, etc. The game was fine but I really wish I got to see the half time show.
ReplyDeleteThe commercials were not as funny as in years past and honestly they dont cause me to even think about products. I watched the game, mainly because I had bets. The reason the game I most watched is because football is the most popular sport and the championship is only 1 game.
ReplyDeleteI liked the commercials with eminem the most. The superbowl is always the biggest sports/tv event of the year because it's Americas favorite sport, and it's fun to watch even if your aren't a fan. I think it's worth the cost to advertise despite the huge cost because of how many people watch the game
ReplyDeleteYes I watched the commercials but they don't justify watching the whole game just to see them, personally. The superbowl is such a big deal because people want to get together just to be together with their friends, even if they don't care about football. It is an excuse for a get together and the NFL adds just enough with commercials and halftime shows and big name celebrities to make it worth watching for those who don't care about the game aspect.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite commercial was the doritos with the pug. It was awsome. Cuz it grabbed my attention. I like pugs and it was funny. It is the single most popular sporting event because it is FOOTBALL and not something dumb like baseball.
ReplyDeleteThe best commercials were the bud light and doritos commercials. They wre hilarious. As for the game I thought after half time the steelers got fired up and would win for sure after knocking out Woodson. The halftime show lacked originality except for the giant arrows of light up people. I think it's the most popular sporting event because it's football and people like to see giant people hurt each other to win
ReplyDeleteI watched the commercials and I thought the doritos one where he sucks the guys finger was the funniest commercial,I thought it was a good game too but only because almost all of the packers cornerbacks got injured. It's so popular because football just like baseball is an amercian pastime/tradition.
ReplyDeleteI didn't watch the game because I don't really enjoy watching American football, and I really don't understand why its the most popular sporting event. I think it's overrated and it's all of the hype that makes it so "popular." I think people just need a break from their everyday lives and a hyped-up sporting event is a reason to get together and enjoy your friends' company, it's definitely not about the sport for everyone. As for the commercials, I find em pretty entertainig and will probably watch them on YouTube today.
ReplyDeleteI didn't really watch the Superbowl but I did see some of the commercials. I think that spending so much money on 30 second commercials may seem insane, but the companies profit from it and commercials are what attracts many people to actually watching it.
ReplyDeleteI watched the commercials and the game, my favorites were the Hyundai star wars ad, the doritos finger licking, and the bud light kitchen remodeling. And soccer is the most popular...
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