News Mondays - Nicolas Jutzet
«Super Bowl. You've probably heard the term before, but never really understood what it means. Year after year, a media craze accompanies the »Super Bowl« - the final of the American soccer championship - even on the Old Continent, so foreign to this sport that struggles to cross the Atlantic Ocean.
This year, it's «Super Bowl LIII». It closes the 2018 American soccer season. Played yesterday, Sunday February 3, it saw the New England Patriots come out on top. But much more than the result on the field, it's the show, It's all part of the extravagant event. The amounts involved are staggering: gross economic spin-offs of $450 million at the last edition in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Broadcast in 180 countries worldwide - including Switzerland - to 110 million viewers.
As a reminder, the country has a population of just over 325 million. This audience has led to soaring advertising prices, with the record for thirty seconds of advertising during the broadcast of the match on CBS amounting to over 5 million dollars. All in all, in four hours, advertising revenues came to a whopping $350 million. Not to mention a veritable half-time concert by the pop-rock group Maroon 5. In short: there's no doubt about it, they've got showmanship down pat.
The arrival of «soccer» in the United States
Is this dominance and popularity here to stay? Or are they facing new competition? The latest figures show that the soccer, the king of sports on the Old Continent. And this is true of all segments of the population. To date, the rankings are as follows:
«Not surprisingly, American soccer came out on top, with over a third of the votes (37%). It tops the list for both men (42%) and women (32%). It is preferred by all age groups. It appeals to liberals, «moderates» and conservatives. A plebiscite. Basketball confirms its position as the second sport in the hearts of American spectators (11%). But it was edged out by one point (9% vs. 10%), among men, by baseball, ranked third in this national poll. Soccer is ranked 4thème place. With an overall result of 7%, it is ahead of ice hockey, motor sports and golf. Soccer's progress is no longer in doubt. Ten years earlier, only 2% of Americans had placed it at the top when asked which sport they preferred to follow, in the stadium or in front of their TV screen.»
This trend is even more pronounced among younger audiences: among Americans aged 18 to 34, soccer ranks second, tied with basketball (11%). Add to this the numerous polemics surrounding American soccer, sometimes accused of prematurely sending top athletes to the morgue (due to repeated concussions) in the film Alone against all, It's a story that's not just based on a true story, but is also the source of many off-field excesses. The stories of violent former athletes, ruined or addicted to various substances, just keep coming. This major discovery is sending shockwaves through sports circles. We can therefore imagine a slow but steady reversal of the trend. With, for once, a Europeanization of the United States, and not the other way around.
Write to the author: nicolas.jutzet@leregardlibre.com
Photo credit: © Pixabay
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