Global InformationSuper Bowl information
 The Super Bowl logo used since Super Bowl XLV in 2011 showcasing the Vince Lombardi Trophy. Since Super Bowl XLV, the Roman numeral of the game has been featured alongside the trophy, with the exception of Super Bowl 50, with the logo decorated in different colors for each year. | |
| First played | January 15, 1967 |
|---|---|
| Trophy | Vince Lombardi Trophy |
| 2023 season | |
| |
The Super Bowl is the annual league championship game of the National Football League (NFL) of the United States. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game has been played on the second Sunday in February. Prior Super Bowls were played on Sundays in early to mid-January from 1967 to 1978, late January from 1979 to 2003,[a] and the first Sunday of February from 2004 to 2021. Winning teams are awarded the Vince Lombardi Trophy, named after the eponymous coach who won the first two Super Bowls. Because the NFL restricts use of its "Super Bowl" trademark, it is frequently referred to as the "big game" or other generic terms by non-sponsoring corporations. The day that the game is held, is commonly referred to as "Super Bowl Sunday" or simply "Super Sunday".
The game was created as part of a 1966 merger agreement between the NFL and the competing American Football League (AFL) to have their 'best' teams compete for a championship. It was originally called the AFL–NFL World Championship Game until the "Super Bowl" moniker was adopted in 1969's Super Bowl III. The first four Super Bowls from 1967 to 1970 were played prior to the merger, with the NFL and AFL each winning two. After the merger in 1970, the 10 AFL teams and 3 of the NFL teams formed the American Football Conference (AFC), while the remaining 13 NFL teams formed the National Football Conference (NFC). All games since 1971's Super Bowl V have been played between the best team from each of the two conferences, with the NFC tied with the AFC 29–29 in wins.
Among the NFL's current 32 teams, 20 (11 NFC, nine AFC) have won a Super Bowl and 15 (eight AFC, seven NFC) hold multiple titles. The AFC's Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots have the most Super Bowl titles at six each. The Patriots also have the most Super Bowl appearances at 11.[1] Among NFC franchises, the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers are tied for both the most titles at five each and the most appearances at eight each. The Patriots and the Denver Broncos of the AFC hold the record for the most defeats in the Super Bowl at five each. The Baltimore Ravens of the AFC and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the NFC are the only franchises to be undefeated in multiple Super Bowls, having each won two. Among the 12 teams who have not won a Super Bowl, the AFC's Cleveland Browns, Houston Texans, and Jacksonville Jaguars, and the NFC's Detroit Lions are the only four to have not appeared in the game.
The Super Bowl is among the world's most-watched single sporting events and frequently commands the largest audience among all American broadcasts during the year. It is second only to the UEFA Champions League final as the most watched annual club sporting event worldwide,[2] and the seven most-watched broadcasts in American television history are Super Bowls.[3] Commercial airtime during the Super Bowl broadcast is the most expensive of the year because of the high viewership, leading to companies regularly developing their most expensive advertisements for the broadcast and commercial viewership becoming an integral part of the event. The Super Bowl is also the second-largest event for American food consumption, behind Thanksgiving dinner.[4]
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- ^ Leaver, Ryan (June 20, 2023). "A Complete Guide to Super Bowl Betting". Syracuse.com. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
ChampionsLeaguewas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Mark Koba (January 28, 2014). "Super Bowl TV ratings: Fast facts at a glance". CNBC. Archived from the original on August 19, 2020. Retrieved February 5, 2014.
- ^ Karlsons, Donna (January 30, 2014). "First Down Food Safety Tips for your Super Bowl Party". U.S. Department of Agriculture. Archived from the original on October 18, 2020. Retrieved December 19, 2019.