Sociological Analysis of the NBC Telecast of Super Bowl 52

For over two decades, since 1967 when the first ever Super Bowl was held in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the annual championship game of the National Football League (NFL) was a modest athletic affair, all about the American football game. The halftime show was just another break to fill time, featuring college marching band. Fans in the stands and TV viewers at home used this halftime as an excuse to go to the bathroom or to get more beer and snack. Super Bowl ads didn’t attract many viewers either, because they were just replays of the existing TV commercials.
However, as American society has evolved, the Super Bowl has also evolved over its 50-year history. Starting from the 1990s, the halftime show began to feature pop music acts by bigger-named bands or musicians like New Kids on the Block, Michael Jackson, Justin Timberlake, etc. Since then, the half time show has become a tradition in its own right, playing a key role in maintaining the enduring popularity of the Super …