Whether you’re a football fan or not, the Super Bowl is this nation’s biggest sporting event, and it has been for some time. Over the years, with almost 60 of these events taking place, there have been countless quirky Super Bowl facts that have emerged from locker rooms and commentary stalls.
But some are more strange than others. Die-hard fans make it their mission to see this event in person, whether their team is being hosted or not. If you’re one of those lucky individuals who got their hands on expensive Super Bowl tickets, then it’s time to dive into some interesting Super Bowl facts to learn more about its history.
13. The Price Behind Iconic Commercials
The Super Bowl is known for many things, but one that fans love to see is the amazing commercials. Popular brands like Coca-Cola to Doritos have brought amazing content that fans can’t get enough of. But of course, like any commercial and ad, there’s a heavy price.
One of the many strange Super Bowl facts is that a 30-second commercial cost $7 million in 2024. Thinking back, how many commercials lasted longer than 30 seconds, even a full minute or longer? It’s incredible what companies will pay to get their amazing ideas on the screen.
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12. Super Bowls Have Special Coins
At the start of each game, you might be familiar with the coin toss. This is a famous key role in how games play out, as it determines who starts with the ball at the beginning of each half. But these games don’t rely on any old coin. One of the many important and interesting Super Bowl facts is that each one gets their unique coin from the Highland Mint.
The front features the Lombardi Trophy and helmets of the two teams playing. There are even replicas that superfans can purchase after the game for a beautiful collection. You can even buy all the past 58 coins from their website for $3,000.
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11. Crafting the Super Bowl Football
These days, it might not be a shock to learn that sports equipment and accessories are crafted by machines. But apparently, NFL footballs are still crafted by hand, even the Super Bowl football.
Union workers create the balls for all NFL and college games at the Wilson Sporting Goods Football Factory in Ada, Ohio. This just shows the commitment and importance of making sure every ball is regulated and crafted with passion.
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10. Second Biggest Eating Day of the Year
One of the strangest Super Bowl facts is that Game Day is also known for being the second biggest eating day of the year. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Super Bowl Sunday is the biggest eating day after Thanksgiving.
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9. Six Little Words
This might come as a strange fact, but there are six little words imprinted on every Wilson Super Bowl game football. They read ‘Commissioner, Wilson, Made in the U.S.A.’, and these words have been printed on every single football that has ever been used in a Super Bowl.
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8. The Much Longer Name
Super Bowl was not always called Super Bowl as it used to go with a much longer name. The Super Bowl was originally called “The AFL-NFA World Championship Game.” Super Bowl was being unofficially used from the very beginning of the game but was only adopted officially a few years later.
7. Phil Simms Going to Disney Land
One of the most fun Super Bowl facts is that after the Giants’ victory in Super Bowl XXI, Phil Simms shouted “I am going to Disney World.” This shout did not come free, as Phil Simms was paid $75,000 for shouting this. Interestingly, Disney also paid John Elway the same amount for shouting the same thing if his team had won.
6. The First Super Bowl Wasn’t a Sell-Out
Super Bowl 1 was played on January 15, 1967. It was the time of inflation and therefore the ticket price was adjusted to $12, which is equivalent to $89 today. Even after adjusting the price, the event still did not sell out and was a complete loss to the investors and sponsors.
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5. The First Winning Team to Visit the White House
The Pittsburg Steelers were the first winning team of the Super Bowl to have ever visited the White House. Pittsburg Steelers made their White House visit in 1980 where former President Jimmy Carter received them.
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4. Creativity in Accommodation
When it comes to accommodation, the host cities of the Super Bowl sometimes become creative. Jacksonville, Florida did the most astonishing thing in 2005 while hosting Super Bowl XXXIX. When the city was out of hotel space they recruited five docked cruise ships to serve as floating hotels.
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3. The Mishap in Super Bowl 1
One of the quirkiest Super Bowl facts to know is that there was a major mishap when the second half of Super Bowl 1 kicked off. In 1967, when the second half kicked off, NBC was still in commercial, this forced officials to ask the Green Bay Packers to kick off again.
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2. Breaking TV Rating Records
It’s known that the Super Bowl is one of the biggest sporting events in the world. But one of the many Super Bowl facts you might not know is that Super Bowl LVIII broke the longstanding TV rating record.
The Super Bowl featuring the Kansas City Chiefs against the San Francisco 49ers averaged 123.4 million viewers, according to CBS. The anticipated game in Las Vegas surpassed the previous most-watched Super Bowl in history, which has about 115 million viewers.
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1. The Lombardi Trophy
The Vince Lombardi Trophy, or simply The Lombardi Trophy, is the trophy awarded to the winning team in the Super Bowl. The trophy is named after the NFL coach Vince Lombardi, who led the Green Bay Packers to victories in the first two Super Bowl games.
Interestingly enough, the football on the top of the Lombardi Trophy is 55 cm through the middle and 71 cm around the ends. The interesting thing is that this football is of the same size as the official “The Duke”.
