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What makes “The Greatest Show on Earth”? Is it the build-up
to the event? Is it the event itself? Or, is it the experience that it
provides? Any one of these, or any combination of them, could answer our
question. Now I’d like you to stop and think about what event came to mind. It
was most likely an event that you attended or experienced recently. For me, The
Super Bowl takes the cake for being The Greatest Show on Earth. It is an
event that can grab everyone’s attention and it’s an event that everyone consumes.
Whether it be the game itself, the half-time show or commercials, people stay
glued to their TV’s throughout the whole event.
I was able to attend Super Bowl 50 in San Francisco. I had the opportunity
to witness this massive spectacle in person. With it being my first time at the
Super Bowl, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Would it feel like I was attending a
regular season NFL game, since I wouldn’t see the famous Super Bowl
commercials? Or, would it change how I perceived live events? Simply put, it was
better than expected. It checked off all the key factors that create value for
attending live sporting events (see my last blog, Creating Value for Attending
Live Sports). It changed the way I viewed live events going forward. You
may be wondering “was it really that crazy of an experience?”; and yes,
it really was. The Super Bowl Experience begins with the excitement that
surrounds the event, the pre-game activities/events that are hosted, and
finally, the game itself. The Greatest Show on.
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Excitement around Super Bowl 50
It all started when I boarded the plane for The Super Bowl destination;
San Francisco. Even though we were boarding on the Friday before and were all
the way in Toronto, there was a buzz in the air. As you boarded the flight, you
knew you were headed to the right place. TSN and SportsNet reporters were everywhere
and everyone is smiling, ear to ear. You sit down and you hear the discussion; “Are
you going to the events in Downtown San Francisco on Saturday”; “It’s my
first Super Bowl”; “It’s my fifth Super Bowl”. Then it hits you, whoa,
I’m going to the freaking Super Bowl. As soon as you land, it’s
Super Bowl mania everywhere. The advertisements in the airport are football
related, there are cheerleaders at the car rental kiosk (never thought I’d be
so excited to rent-a-car), and you’re treated like royalty. All of comments everyone
told you about the cost of going, OUT THE WINDOW, since you now know this is
going to be an event that you’ll never forget.
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Super Bowl 50 Festivities
It’s game-day! You’re expecting craziness, confetti cannons and herds of people, and no matter how much you prepare yourself, it’s always more than you expected. Since my Dad and I arrived at 10am (the game only started at 5:30pm), we decided to go to one of the pre-game parties. Little did we know, the whole Great America theme park, located beside Levi’s Stadium, was rented out for ticket holders. The park was exclusively for ticket holders and it was all you can eat, drink, and ride. We were the only ones on rides, played carnival games until we won a prize (only needed one try, no big deal), and we’d grab a taco or plate of wings on the way to the next ride, while rubbing elbows with NFL legends and current players. All of this to say that we ran out of time to go to the other pre-game festivities. Regardless, we were able to experience so much and the atmosphere was amazing.
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Super Bowl 50
With time ticking, we got in line to enter the stadium and find our seats. Bands were playing music and there were street entertainers everywhere to ensure you never experienced a dull moment, even if you were just in line for security. We found our seats just in time for the opening ceremony. They introduced every Super Bowl MVP, one by one, Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, and Tom Brady (if you’re a fan of football or the Patriots, like me, you’d understand my excitement). Then the game began! Every minute of play felt like we were witnessing history as Peyton Manning, an NFL great, was playing his last game. And rest assured to my fellow Super Bowl commercial junkies that with every stoppage in play, they would play Super Bowl commercials so you wouldn’t miss out on any of the traditions that come along with the game. Then it was time for the world-famous half-time show. The stadium transformed right before our eyes. The people in the crowd went from looking like fans to holding up cards to create a sunset, to an Up-Town Funk dance party, to Beyoncé marching down the field with her female back-up dancers dressed as Black Panthers. To top the whole event off, confetti shot up into the sky and everything was covered in gold when the Broncos won. That was the last moment I took in, before we ran to the car to make our flight.
Everyone experiences things differently. Yes, the title of The Greatest Show on Earth is subjective, but one thing that isn’t subjective is what is required to make an event great. It is something you have attended or experienced and it will create memories that you’ll never forget. The Super Bowl is the perfect example of what sport marketers can do to provide value to fans. You don’t need to go all out and rent out a theme park, but you can ensure that your audience (fans) are entertained from start to finish. If you can succeed at providing fans with that much value, maybe then you will have a part in hosting The Greatest Show on Earth.