As you probably know, Sunday was host to Super Bowl 50, the greatest sporting event of the year in America. The game between the Denver Broncos and the Carolina Panthers was the third-most-watched U.S. broadcast ever, with 111.9 million viewers. In the end, the Broncos took the win, defeating the Panthers 24 to 10. This was the third Super Bowl title for Denver and the second for Denver quarterback Peyton Manning.
Peyton Manning after winning Super Bowl 50
The game itself was pretty stale, with only two offensive touchdowns, and a showdown of two defenses. Manning, the oldest starting quarterback in Super Bowl history, finally won his second title making him also the first quarterback to win with two different teams.
But many people don’t watch the Super Bowl for the game, and the event has taken on a much larger role in pop culture than just a football game. Lady Gaga sung the national anthem, and not only nailed the performance, but looked the part too (with many comments on her outfit resembling a character from the “Hunger Games”). A star-studded halftime show featured Coldplay, Bruno Mars and Beyoncé.
The Super Bowl 50 halftime show featuring Beyoncé, Coldplay and Bruno Mars
Commercials, as always were a big draw, and CBS knew it. Five million was the asking price for a 30 second ad during the game. Notable ads were Hyundai’s “First Date” and “Ryanville”, Dorito’s “Doritos Dogs” and “Ultrasound”, Heinz’s “Weiner Stampede” and the disturbing “Puppy Monkey Baby” for Mountain Dew Kickstart.