Brock University experts are anticipating record-breaking viewership for the Super Bowl, attributing it to various factors.
Assistant Professor Olan Scott discusses the “Taylor Swift effect,” suggesting her presence may attract a fresh audience, benefiting advertisers. Scott, who studies media narratives and how the media works, is exploring the impact of the pop superstar’s attendance at games throughout the season thanks to her romance with Kansas City player Travis Kelce. Scott says Swift may provide the NFL and its flagship Super Bowl with a young and fresh audience that may not normally tune in just to see her for a minute or two during the game.
Associate Professor Michael Naraine notes the surge in sports gambling interest, as the Super Bowl traditionally results in a number of unique prop bets from the length of the anthem to the halftime show, to the colour of the Gatorade that’s poured on the winning coach after the game.
Assistant Professor Ryan Clutterbuck highlights on-field storylines, including Patrick Mahomes’ legacy. If he wins his third Super Bowl, Clutterbuck notes that he enters into truly elite company among the great NFL quarterbacks of all time. Another storyline is Kansas City Chiefs Head Coach Any Reid, who Clutterbuck says was once known as a coach who couldn’t win the big one, with a chance to win his third ring with the Chiefs as well.
Assistant Professor Taylor McKee emphasizes the Super Bowl’s design for television spectacle, ensuring its dominance in North American sports. McKee notes that other North American sports championships like the World Series and Grey Cup made their debut on radio, while the Super Bowl did so on television and has always had that top of mind.
The Super Bowl between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers is set for Sunday evening, starting at 6:30pm.
(Written by: Brandon Warby and Matt Latour)
