Since the first broadcast of the Super Bowl in 1967, the ‘Big Game’ has become a huge part of American culture. Making it to the Super Bowl is every NFL player’s dream, but a lot has changed since Super Bowl I. Not only has technology and the players’ physicality evolved, but the rules of the game have changed as well. It could be said that the only thing about the Super Bowl that has remained the same are the fundamentals of the game. The most obvious change is how commercialized the event has become.

When the Super Bowl first began, Super Bowl Media Week didn’t exist. At most, players would spend a day or two speaking with the the few news channels in existence. Today, every player is required by the NFL to spend a certain amount of time speaking with the media, or else they run the risk of being monetarily fined (a la Marshawn Lynch). You could understand the major networks having an interest in speaking with players, but now you have TMZ, Access Hollywood, and Entertainment Tonight (just to name a few), who have become a big part of media week during the Super Bowl. In the beginning, commercials were not as largely a component of the game as they are today. Commercials have become equally or maybe even more anticipated as the game itself. ESPN and other sports networks discuss the advertisements as much as they discuss the actual game. Companies invest millions of dollars in buying air time for their commercials because of the amount of potential customers viewing the game. In fact, Bud light paid approximately 3 million dollars for a 30 second amount of air time this past year, when only 45 years ago it would have cost $40,000 for the same amount of air time.

The Super Bowl has become so over commercialized that it is no longer only about the game; it has become about the elaborate halftime shows and iconic commercials. The earliest Super Bowl halftime shows consisted of low key high school or college bands performing one or two songs, now world renowned musicians are performing. Overall, the super bowl has become more of an entertainment event rather than a sports event.