History of the Super Bowl
The NFL was first launched in 1920, but no Super Bowl event was held until four decades later. A group of businesspeople tried to acquire football franchises in 1960, but they never took over NFL. Instead, they founded the AFL: American Football League. In the next few years, AFL and NFL competed for players and fans. But the founders came to a consensus in 1970 and merged the leagues.
It was on 15 January 1967 when the first Super Bowl event took place, featuring Kansas City Chiefs from AFL and Green Bay Packers from NFL. At that time, tickets were sold at an average of $12, and the game attracted about 61,000 fans. The Packers won against the Chiefs 35–10. Hosted at Memorial Coliseum, it was regarded as the AFL-NFL World Championship Game and broadcast by NBC and CBS. Later, the name was changed to Super Bowl.
Season II and Beyond
In 1968, the Packers defeated the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl II 33-14. In many eyes, the AFL champions couldn't beat the NFL's best. In one of the biggest upsets, the New York Jets, the AFL champions, defeated Baltimore Colts (NFL), 16-7 in 1969. The Super Bowl's popularity continued to grow following the AFL-NFL merger. Three teams, Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins, and Pittsburgh Steelers, dominated the scene in the 70s.
Throughout Super Bowl history, halftime commercial ads have been a huge attraction. Initially, such entertainment featured astronauts, military drills, and marching bands. Over time, it has changed dramatically, whereby performers such as pop stars, rock bands, and Broadway singers have been included.
Due to this, the Super Bowl commercials are the most expensive among televised sport championships in the US. For instance, a 30-second ad cost nearly $5 million in 2016.
