What is the Super Bowl? The Greatest Show on Turf explained

Approximately one in every three people across the States – with a population above 330 million people – will settle down to watch the game, while the rest of the world (generally speaking) either carries on as usual or goes to sleep.

But what is exactly is the Super Bowl? Why is it so important to the US? And how many chicken wings will be consumed in honour of the occasion (clue: over 1,000,000,000 in the US alone) this weekend?

RadioTimes.com explains why the Super Bowl is such a big deal in the US sporting calendar.

Super Bowl FAQs: NFL rules | How long is the Super Bowl? | How much are Super Bowl rings worth? | Is Taylor Swift performing at the Super Bowl? | Super Bowl attendance | What is the Super Bowl? | Why does Super Bowl use Roman numerals?

What is the Super Bowl?

The Super Bowl is the culmination of the NFL season. Thirty-two teams are divided into two conferences of 16 (the AFC and NFC). Each conference is divided into divisions of four (West, North, East, South).

The best teams in each division, plus a few lucky runners-up, qualify for the playoffs, which lead to the crowning of an AFC champion and an NFC champion. Those two teams compete in the Greatest Show on Turf – the Super Bowl.

The Super Bowl is a cultural centrepiece in the USA. It draws in around 100 million domestic viewers alone, with 112m tuning in for the 2023 game – that's approximately one third of the entire population of the country.

As a standalone sporting event, it's a big deal, but the spectacle is a marriage between sport and entertainment, presented with layer upon layer of glitz and glam.

The iconic half-time show has seen some of the world's all-time biggest-selling acts perform on the field.

Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, U2, Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, Prince, Bruce Springsteen, The Who, Beyoncé and many, many more have performed on the grand stage.

The universal audience of the Super Bowl, from sports fans to entertainment lovers, results in an incredible attraction to the game, which in turn has advertisers licking their lips.

Super Bowl commercials have developed a legendary status, with brands trying to out-do each other at every opportunity to produce the most eye-catching, memorable, iconic ads.

Many tune into the Super Bowl simply to watch the adverts in between, with Hollywood A-listers and immense production value applied to every commercial shown.

The ads better be worth the approximate $7 million it costs for a 30-second slot during a break.

Beyond the stadium, the game, the sport, the entertainment, spectacle and advertising opportunities, the Super Bowl provides the US with a perfect excuse to indulge.

New data in 2024 suggests Americans will spend around $17.3bn ($86.04 per person) on food, drinks, merchandise, decorations and more to prepare for the game.

Almost 9 million kilograms of potato and tortilla chips are expected to be consumed, as well as 1.4 billion chicken wings – enough to encircle Planet Earth three times.

All of that will be washed down by a reported – and utterly mind-boggling – 2 billion pints of beer over the weekend. While it's tough to get an accurate read on the stats and figures, one thing is certain: the Super Bowl is big news.

Outside of the US, its appeal is growing, but it remains far smaller than within the US itself.

Around 40 million people tune in for the game around the globe each year, but with the NFL ramping up efforts to play games in the UK, Germany, Brazil and further afield, don't be surprised if Super Bowl mania continues to spread across the globe.

If you're looking for something else to watch, check out our TV Guide or Streaming Guide, or visit our Sport hub for all the latest news.

Try Radio Times magazine today and get 10 issues for only £10 – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.