Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024 marks the Sunday many Americans eagerly wait for all year long – Super Bowl Sunday. This year’s matchup was between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers in Las Vegas, NV. The Kansas City Chiefs won this year’s Super Bowl with a total score of 25-22 in overtime, guaranteeing them back-to-back champions.
This year’s matchup was the second time in NFL history in which the Super Bowl went into overtime according to NBC DFW. The NFL have also coined the Kansas City Chiefs a “true dynasty” after this victory marks the third Super Bowl win for Patrick Mahomes, which is said to put him on a Tom Brady winning pace.
The National Football League’s (NFL) viewership has increased this past season, with 17.9 million viewers tuning in every week, according to Fortune . This is the highest that viewership has been since 1995. Part of the reason for this uptick has been Taylor Swift and her relationship with Chiefs’ tight end, Travis Kelce. Despite Swift not showing up until week three of the season, Front Office Sports notes that her presence led to a significant boost in youth and female ratings. Swift’s path to the Super Bowl from her touring schedule has become a well-documented trend online according to CNN, ensuring her appearance at the game. Swift, Blake Lively, Ice Spice, and multiple other celebrities attended the game together.
On the flip side, the stories of the 49ers have also gained media traction. Dubbed by fans as “Mr. Irrelevant,” 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy was drafted very last in the 2022 NFL draft. He served as the 49ers Super Bowl’s starting quarterback. For fans in the North Carolina area, the name Christian McCaffrey is another significant one. The former Carolina Panthers running back spent six years in the Panthers rebuilding organization before being traded to San Francisco midway through the 2023 regular season.
This year’s halftime show was performed by Usher, who sang hits like “Yeah!”, “OMG,” “Confessions Part II” and “My Boo” with Alicia Keys. Other surprise guests included Lil Jon, Ludacris, Will.I.Am, H.E.R, and Jackson State University’s “Sonic Boom of the South” marching band. The show was marked by costume changes, high-tech visuals, and Usher performing on roller skates. FanSided also kept a full set list and guest appearances. Later in the evening, The Guardian noted that Beyonce announced “Renaissance Act II”, a new country music-themed album through a Verizon commercial. After the game, two singles were released on streaming services - “Texas Hold Em” and “Sixteen Carriages.”
The NFL’s playoff storylines also drew mainstream attention for teams who did not make the championship game. Among these were the Detroit Lions, who had not won a playoff game since 1991, as noted by Newsweek. Prior to that, the Lions had not won a playoff game since 1957. The Lions drew celebrity fans, with rapper Eminem being a major part of playoff promotion for the team.
By Kat Whetstone, Reporter
Graphic by Shae-Lynn Henderson, EIC