The dust has finally begun to settle on the behemoth that is the NFL season, and once again the seasoned veteran Peyton Manning stands atop the pile triumphant as he finally captures an elusive second championship. On the other hand, we have the young gun representing the Carolina Panthers, Cam Newton. These two athletes show perfect examples of how the NFL and the Superbowl represent key marketing areas for brands across the globe.
It is common knowledge that some of the most premium advertising aired on television premieres during the Superbowl and even in Ireland their impact is made. Who among us can say they were not exposed to the infamous Budweiser frogs who first debuted during a Superbowl ad spot more than 20 years ago. Nowadays, it is estimated that a 30 second advertisement during the Superbowl would cost a company $5 million, when you consider the amount of 30 second ads that could be fit into the broadcast of the Superbowl the amount spent on advertising is quite dizzying.
The gambling industry also stands to perform well when the Superbowl rolls around. In 2014, there was a staggering $119.4 million wagered on various bets in Nevada alone. However, that pales in comparison to the amount of money that was spent by US consumers in 2016 on Superbowl related goods, according to the National Retail Federation there was $15.53 billion spent.
On the field, the two quarterbacks who took part in the 2016 edition of the Superbowl earned some of the highest endorsements in the NFL. Peyton Manning is recognised as the highest earner in the NFL, pulling in $12 million in off-field endorsements, with Cam Newton pulling in $10 million. To think that there are such ridiculous amounts of money being spent all because of a sport and being pumped around the US economy makes one think, are Mr. Goodell and co. actually running a sporting competition, or one of the most important industries in the US economy, and what, if anything, can the GAA and the FAI learn from it?
By Bill Horan
