98 Fun Facts About Superbowl

Which team won Super Bowl LX, played in February 2026?

The 29–13 win at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara was Seattle's second title; running back Kenneth Walker III was named MVP after rushing for 135 yards.

Which quarterback was named MVP of the very first Super Bowl in January 1967, then repeated the feat in Super Bowl II?

Bart Starr completed 16 of 23 passes for 250 yards and two touchdowns in Super Bowl I, then was MVP again a year later in Super Bowl II.

Which backup Packers receiver caught the first touchdown in Super Bowl history?

Max McGee, expecting to sit behind Boyd Dowler, caught a 37-yard touchdown from Bart Starr in the first quarter of Super Bowl I and finished with seven catches for 138 yards.

Which metropolitan area, with eleven, ties New Orleans for the most Super Bowls hosted as of Super Bowl LX?

Half of all 60 Super Bowls have been played in just three areas: Greater Miami and New Orleans eleven times each, and Greater Los Angeles eight.

Which NFL team has never played in a Super Bowl?

Out of the 32 active NFL teams, only four have never reached the Super Bowl: the Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, and Jacksonville Jaguars.

Roughly how many of the Coliseum's 94,000 seats went unsold at Super Bowl I?

Roughly 33,000 seats went unsold: official attendance was 61,946 in a Coliseum that held about 94,000, with the game blacked out on Los Angeles television despite the neutral site.

Which stadium hosted Super Bowl LVII in February 2023?

State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona hosted Super Bowl LVII on February 12, 2023, the fourth Super Bowl in the Phoenix area after XXX, XLII and XLIX.

Who is the only Super Bowl Most Valuable Player to come from the losing team?

Chuck Howley, the Dallas Cowboys linebacker, intercepted two passes in Super Bowl V and was named MVP despite a 16–13 defeat; no other player from a losing team has won the award.

Which coach, winner of the first two Super Bowls, gives the trophy its name?

The Vince Lombardi Trophy was named for the Green Bay coach after his death in September 1970 and first presented under that name to the Super Bowl V winner in January 1971.

Which player holds the record for the most Super Bowl MVP awards?

Tom Brady won five Super Bowl MVP awards, four with the New England Patriots and one with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV, the most by any player.

Joe Namath's AFL New York Jets upset which heavily favored NFL team in Super Bowl III, in January 1969?

The Baltimore Colts, NFL champions with a 13–1 record, lost 16–7 to the Jets on January 12, 1969, days after Joe Namath publicly guaranteed a New York victory.

Which two networks both televised Super Bowl I, each with its own announcers?

Because NBC held the AFL's rights and CBS the NFL's, both were allowed to televise the game, each using its own announcers.

Which NFL team has made the most Super Bowl appearances?

Their 12 appearances have produced six wins and six losses, both also NFL records.

John Elway's Denver Broncos, an AFC wild card, upset which defending champion in Super Bowl XXXII, in January 1998?

Denver's 31–24 win over the Green Bay Packers was the Broncos' first Super Bowl title and snapped the NFC's 13-game Super Bowl winning streak.

Which team won Super Bowl LVII, played in February 2023?

The Kansas City Chiefs beat the Philadelphia Eagles 38–35 on Harrison Butker's 27-yard field goal with eight seconds left, giving Patrick Mahomes his second title.

Which Super Bowl was the first decided in overtime, after the Patriots overturned a 28-3 deficit?

Super Bowl LI, played in Houston on February 5, 2017, ended 34–28 when James White scored in overtime; the 25-point rally was the largest comeback in Super Bowl history.

Which quarterback was MVP of Super Bowl XLII, where the Giants ended the Patriots' perfect season bid?

Eli Manning was MVP of Super Bowl XLII after leading the late drive that Plaxico Burress finished, beating the 18–0 Patriots 17–14 and ending their perfect-season bid.

The 1972 Miami Dolphins, the only NFL team to complete a perfect season, were coached by whom?

Don Shula coached the 1972 Miami Dolphins to a 17–0 season capped by a 14–7 win over Washington in Super Bowl VII; Tom Landry's Cowboys had beaten them in Super Bowl VI a year earlier.

Which two 1972 Dolphins became the first teammates to each rush for 1,000 yards in a season?

Larry Csonka ran for 1,117 yards and Mercury Morris for exactly 1,000 in 1972, the first pair of teammates to reach the mark in the same season.

Apple's celebrated '1984' Macintosh commercial, aired during Super Bowl XVIII, was directed by whom?

Ridley Scott, fresh off Blade Runner, directed Apple's '1984' commercial, which aired nationally only once, during the third quarter of Super Bowl XVIII on January 22, 1984.

The classic 1980 Super Bowl ad 'Hey Kid, Catch!' starred which Pittsburgh Steelers player?

Mean Joe Greene, the Steelers' defensive tackle, drinks the boy's Coke in one gulp and tosses him his jersey; the spot debuted in October 1979 and aired again during Super Bowl XIV.

How much did a 30-second commercial cost at Super Bowl I in 1967?

A 30-second spot in Super Bowl I cost about $37,500; by 2026 the price had climbed to roughly $8 million, more than $266,000 per second.

Which company's 1977 'Monks' commercial with Brother Dominic has been called the first viral ad?

Xerox's 'Monks' spot, in which Brother Dominic copies a manuscript on a Xerox 9200, aired during Super Bowl XI in January 1977 and was remade for its 40th anniversary in 2017.

Which padlock maker's Super Bowl ads, showing its product surviving a rifle shot, ate nearly its whole annual ad budget?

Master Lock first aired its rifle-shot padlock commercial during Super Bowl VIII in January 1974 and for years spent nearly its entire annual advertising budget on that single Super Bowl spot.

Volkswagen's 2011 ad 'The Force' became the most shared Super Bowl ad ever after doing what?

It had over 16 million YouTube views before kickoff of Super Bowl XLV.

Whose 'Star-Spangled Banner' before Super Bowl XXV in 1991, during the Gulf War, became a celebrated recording?

Whitney Houston's performance at Tampa Stadium on January 27, 1991 was released as a single that reached the Billboard top 20 and was reissued after 9/11, when it went top 10.

Super Bowl XLVII in 2013 was nicknamed the 'Har-bowl' because of what first?

John Harbaugh's Ravens beat Jim Harbaugh's 49ers 34-31 in New Orleans, handing San Francisco its first ever Super Bowl loss.

The 1985 Bears crushed the Patriots in Super Bowl XX using which then-revolutionary defensive scheme?

They set Super Bowl records for sacks (seven), rushing yards allowed (seven) and margin of victory (36 points).

The Super Bowl MVP trophy, first presented at Super Bowl XXV, is named after which NFL commissioner?

The Pete Rozelle Trophy honors the commissioner who ran the NFL from 1960 to 1989 and oversaw the Super Bowl's creation; Ottis Anderson received the first one after Super Bowl XXV.

Which two Dallas Cowboys were named co-MVPs of Super Bowl XII, the only time the award has been shared?

Harvey Martin and Randy White, Dallas's defensive linemen, shared the Super Bowl XII MVP award after the Cowboys forced eight Denver turnovers in a 27–10 win in January 1978.

Which Fox sketch show drew viewers from the 1992 halftime show, prompting the NFL to book pop stars?

Fox's In Living Color aired a live halftime special during Super Bowl XXVI in January 1992 that pulled millions of viewers from CBS's game coverage; the NFL answered by booking Michael Jackson a year later.

During the Super Bowl's first decade, the halftime show was typically performed by what?

College marching bands filled most early halftimes, with Grambling State's band performing at Super Bowl I in 1967; drill teams and the group Up with People followed in the second decade.

Whose 2025 halftime show drew 133.5 million viewers, beating Michael Jackson's 1993 record?

Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl LIX halftime show on February 9, 2025, featuring SZA and a cameo by Samuel L. Jackson as Uncle Sam, averaged 133.5 million viewers across Fox, Tubi and other platforms.

Which Super Bowl set the all-time US viewership record in 2025 with an average of 127.7 million viewers?

Super Bowl LIX, the Eagles' 40–22 win over the Chiefs on February 9, 2025, averaged 127.7 million viewers across Fox, Tubi and other platforms, then the most-watched US broadcast ever.

Where was Joe Namath speaking when he guaranteed a Jets win three days before Super Bowl III?

Joe Namath made his guarantee while being honored at the Miami Touchdown Club on January 9, 1969, answering a heckling Colts fan; three days later the Jets won 16–7.

By how many points were the Jets underdogs to the Colts before their Super Bowl III upset?

Baltimore was favored by 18 points after a 13–1 season and a 34–0 rout of Cleveland for the NFL title, which made the Jets' 16–7 win one of the great upsets.

What was the halftime score of Super Bowl I (Green Bay listed first), before the eventual 35-10 blowout?

Green Bay led only 14–10 at halftime; Willie Wood's interception early in the third quarter set up a touchdown, and the Packers scored 21 unanswered points to win 35–10.

How many franchises have won back-to-back Super Bowls, a feat the Steelers alone have managed twice?

Eight franchises have repeated: the Packers, Dolphins, 49ers, Cowboys, Broncos, Patriots and Chiefs once each, and the Steelers twice (IX–X and XIII–XIV); none has won three straight.

Which team appeared in four consecutive Super Bowls, XXV through XXVIII in the early 1990s, and lost all four?

The Buffalo Bills are the only team to reach four straight Super Bowls, and they lost every one, XXV through XXVIII. The Vikings lost VIII and IX back to back, but never four in a row.

How much was each Green Bay Packer paid for winning the 1966 NFL Championship, two weeks before Super Bowl I?

The losing Chiefs' AFL title shares were $5,308 each.

The Budweiser Clydesdales appeared in at least one Super Bowl commercial every year from 1975 until which game?

Their 1999 'Separated at Birth' Dalmatian ad lost a fan vote to a 2008 Rocky spoof.

Which regulator banned substituting Canadian ads over US Super Bowl commercials from 2017 to 2019?

The CRTC ruled that Canadians should see the US commercials, so from Super Bowl LI in 2017 broadcasters could not substitute Canadian ads; the Supreme Court of Canada overturned the policy in December 2019.

The 1985 Bears' Super Bowl XX win ended a Chicago championship drought of how many years?

The Bears' previous title was the 1963 NFL Championship, so the 46–10 rout of New England on January 26, 1986 ended a 23-year wait for a Chicago champion.

How many parking spaces must a Super Bowl host provide within one mile of the stadium?

The NFL's host-city specifications, made public through Minneapolis's bid for Super Bowl LII, require 35,000 parking spaces within a mile of the stadium along with thousands of hotel rooms.

Which three-time Super Bowl host city lost its NFL team in 2017?

San Diego's stadium hosted three Super Bowls before the Chargers moved to Los Angeles in 2017.

Which 68-year-old coach became the oldest to win a Super Bowl, with Tampa Bay in LV?

Bruce Arians, at 68, became the oldest head coach to win a Super Bowl when Tampa Bay beat Kansas City 31–9 in Super Bowl LV on February 7, 2021.

Since Super Bowl XII in 1978, who traditionally takes part in the coin-toss ceremony?

Since Red Grange flipped the coin at Super Bowl XII in January 1978, a former player or special guest has handled the ceremony, which the referee alone had performed at the first eleven games.

Which network was added to the Super Bowl rotation with Super Bowl XIX in 1985?

ABC, which had carried Monday Night Football since 1970, televised its first Super Bowl with XIX in January 1985; Fox's first came with XXXI after it took the NFC package in 1994.

Which Rams linebacker stopped Kevin Dyson one yard short to end Super Bowl XXXIV?

Mike Jones wrapped up Kevin Dyson at the one-yard line as time expired, preserving the Rams' 23–16 win over Tennessee in Super Bowl XXXIV; the play is known simply as 'The Tackle'.

Super Bowl XXXIV MVP Kurt Warner was the first winning quarterback to have been what?

Kurt Warner went undrafted out of Northern Iowa in 1994 and stocked grocery shelves before reaching the NFL; his 414 passing yards in Super Bowl XXXIV were a record at the time.

How long was James Harrison's record pick-six return in Super Bowl XLIII?

James Harrison intercepted Kurt Warner at the goal line on the last play of the first half and returned it 100 yards, then the longest play in Super Bowl history.

Who caught the winning touchdown with 35 seconds left in Super Bowl XLIII?

Santonio Holmes' toe-tapping six-yard catch in the corner of the end zone with 35 seconds left capped a 78-yard drive and gave Pittsburgh a 27–23 win over Arizona; he was named MVP.

Which Patriots cornerback made the goal-line interception that sealed Super Bowl XLIX?

Malcolm Butler, an undrafted rookie, jumped Russell Wilson's slant to Ricardo Lockette at the goal line with 20 seconds left, sealing New England's 28–24 win; Seattle had chosen to pass rather than hand to Marshawn Lynch.

Bills kicker Scott Norwood's famous last-second miss in Super Bowl XXV went which way?

Scott Norwood's 47-yard attempt with eight seconds left sailed wide right, preserving the Giants' 20–19 win on January 27, 1991; 'wide right' became a lasting catchphrase in Buffalo.

Who exposed Janet Jackson in the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime 'wardrobe malfunction'?

Justin Timberlake tore away part of Jackson's bustier on the line 'gonna have you naked by the end of this song' during 'Rock Your Body'; the exposure lasted about half a second.

Play in Super Bowl XLVII was halted for 34 minutes because of what?

Half the Superdome went dark early in the third quarter; the 49ers then scored 17 unanswered points before Baltimore held on 34-31.

How many seconds into Super Bowl XLVIII came the fastest score ever, a safety?

Manny Ramirez's snap sailed past Peyton Manning and Knowshon Moreno fell on it in the end zone 12 seconds in, the quickest score in Super Bowl history; Seattle won 43–8.

Which linebacker was MVP of Super Bowl XLVIII after a 69-yard interception return?

Malcolm Smith returned a tipped Peyton Manning pass 69 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter and recovered a fumble in the second half of the Seahawks' 43–8 win.

Which Saints punter opened the second half of Super Bowl XLIV with a surprise onside kick?

Thomas Morstead, a rookie, executed the onside kick Sean Payton called 'Ambush' to open the second half; Chris Reis recovered it, and the Saints went on to a 31–17 upset of Indianapolis.

Who became the first wide receiver named Super Bowl MVP, in Super Bowl X?

Lynn Swann caught just four passes in Super Bowl X, but they went for a then-record 161 yards, including a 64-yard touchdown, in the Steelers' 21–17 win over Dallas.

Scenes for which 1977 thriller about a blimp attack were filmed during Super Bowl X?

Black Sunday, John Frankenheimer's 1977 thriller, imagines a terrorist plot using the Goodyear Blimp over the Orange Bowl, with footage shot at Super Bowl X and the real Steelers–Cowboys crowd as extras.

Who caught Joe Montana's winning touchdown with 34 seconds left in Super Bowl XXIII?

John Taylor's 10-yard catch was his only reception of the game; it finished a 92-yard drive and beat Cincinnati 20–16, with Jerry Rice named MVP for 215 receiving yards.

Which was the first Super Bowl played in February?

Super Bowl XXXVI was moved from January 27 to February 3, 2002 after the September 11 attacks postponed a week of games; it was also the first Super Bowl designated a National Special Security Event.

Which band's Super Bowl halftime show in New Orleans paid tribute to the victims of 9/11?

U2 performed 'Beautiful Day', 'MLK' and 'Where the Streets Have No Name' while the names of the September 11 victims scrolled on a screen behind the band at the Superdome in February 2002.

Which company has made every Lombardi Trophy, starting from a cocktail-napkin sketch?

Vice president Oscar Riedner drew it over lunch with Pete Rozelle in 1966; today the trophies are made in Cumberland, Rhode Island.

The seven-pound Vince Lombardi Trophy is made entirely of which material?

The Vince Lombardi Trophy is sterling silver, weighs about seven pounds and stands 22 inches tall, depicting a regulation-size football in kicking position on a three-sided stand.

Which Eagles quarterback caught a touchdown on the 'Philly Special' in Super Bowl LII?

Nick Foles caught Trey Burton's pass on fourth-and-goal with 38 seconds left in the half; a statue of Foles and Doug Pederson calling the play stands outside Lincoln Financial Field.

What went wrong for about 1,250 ticket holders at Super Bowl XLV in Arlington, Texas?

An ice storm delayed installation, and the fire marshal never got to inspect the seats; the NFL faced lawsuits from displaced fans.

Which singer flubbed a line of the national anthem before Super Bowl XLV in 2011?

Christina Aguilera sang a variant of the second line in place of 'O'er the ramparts we watched' and apologised afterward; the Packers then beat the Steelers 31–25.

Super Bowl XXXV had touchdowns on three straight plays — spanning how many seconds?

Duane Starks' 49-yard interception return, Ron Dixon's 97-yard kickoff return and Jermaine Lewis's 84-yard kickoff return came on consecutive plays inside 36 seconds of the third quarter in the Ravens' 34–7 rout.

Which artist's 'Purple Rain' halftime show at Super Bowl XLI was performed in actual rain?

Prince closed his Super Bowl XLI halftime show at Dolphin Stadium with 'Purple Rain' as a downpour fell on February 4, 2007, the first Super Bowl played in rain.

Who returned the opening kickoff of Super Bowl XLI 92 yards for a touchdown?

Devin Hester's 92-yard return gave Chicago a lead just 14 seconds in, the first opening-kickoff touchdown in Super Bowl history, but the Colts recovered to win 29–17.

Who was the first African-American quarterback to start a Super Bowl, in XXII?

Doug Williams threw four touchdown passes in the second quarter alone and was named MVP as Washington beat Denver 42–10; he had started only two regular-season games that year.

Which rookie set a Super Bowl rushing record of 204 yards in Super Bowl XXII?

Timmy Smith, starting only because George Rogers was hurt, ran for a Super Bowl-record 204 yards including a 58-yard touchdown; his best NFL season was 470 yards in 1988.

Which team lost Super Bowl XXIV 55–10, a record 45-point margin?

The Denver Broncos lost to San Francisco 55–10 in January 1990, their third Super Bowl defeat in four years, with Joe Montana throwing five touchdown passes.

Super Bowl XIII, Steelers versus Cowboys, was the first Super Bowl to be what?

Pittsburgh had beaten Dallas 21-17 three years earlier in the same Orange Bowl, and it won again 35-31.

Whose botched kick and pass gave Washington its only points in Super Bowl VII?

Garo Yepremian's 42-yard field-goal try was blocked; he picked the ball up and tried to throw, and Mike Bass returned the fumble 49 yards, turning a likely 17–0 shutout into a 14–7 Dolphins win.

Which Dolphins defender was named MVP of Super Bowl VII, capping the 17-0 season?

Jake Scott, Miami's safety, intercepted two passes, the second in the end zone in the fourth quarter, and the Dolphins completed a 17–0 season with a 14–7 win over Washington.

Super Bowl LVIII in 2024 was the first played in which state?

Nevada hosted its first Super Bowl at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, outside Las Vegas, on February 11, 2024; the 61,629 crowd was the smallest at any Super Bowl other than the pandemic-restricted LV.

Which receiver scored the winning touchdown and was named MVP of Super Bowl LVI?

Cooper Kupp caught the one-yard winning touchdown with 1:25 left in the Rams' 23–20 win over Cincinnati, capping a season in which he led the NFL in catches, yards and touchdowns.

Who was MVP of Super Bowl 50, the first branded with Arabic numerals?

Von Miller, the Broncos linebacker, had 2.5 sacks and forced two fumbles from Cam Newton in a 24–10 win on February 7, 2016, Peyton Manning's final game.

Opposition tied to which rivalry sank the NFL's bid to trademark 'The Big Game'?

Stanford and California have played their 'Big Game' since 1892, 28 years before the NFL existed; the universities' objections led the league to drop its 2006 trademark application in 2007.

Who is the only person to have broadcast a Super Bowl for each of CBS, Fox, ABC and NBC?

John Madden called five Super Bowls for CBS, three for Fox, two for ABC and one for NBC, finishing with Super Bowl XLIII in 2009 before retiring.

Which Giants quarterback was first to say 'I'm going to Disney World!' in 1987?

Phil Simms, who had just completed 22 of 25 passes in the Giants' 39–20 win in Super Bowl XXI, delivered the line for Disney's first 'What's Next?' commercial in January 1987.

Who ran down Leon Lett and stripped him short of the goal line in Super Bowl XXVII?

Don Beebe chased Leon Lett from behind and knocked the ball from his hand just before the goal line, denying a touchdown in a game Dallas still won 52–17 over Buffalo.

Who was the first special-teams player named Super Bowl MVP, after a 99-yard return?

Desmond Howard returned a kickoff 99 yards moments after New England had closed to 27–21, and his 244 total return yards made him MVP of Green Bay's 35–21 win in Super Bowl XXXI.

John Elway retired after Super Bowl XXXIII as the oldest MVP yet — how old was he?

John Elway was 38 when he threw for 336 yards in the 34–19 win over Atlanta on January 31, 1999; Tom Brady, 39, broke the record against the same Falcons in 2017.

Super Bowl XXXVII was the 'Gruden Bowl' because Jon Gruden had just left which team?

Tampa Bay sent two first-round picks, two second-round picks and $8 million to the Oakland Raiders for Gruden in 2002, then beat them 48–21 in his first season.

Which Steelers receiver threw a Super Bowl XL touchdown pass, a first for the position?

Antwaan Randle El, a quarterback at Indiana, took a reverse and hit Hines Ward for a 43-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, clinching Pittsburgh's 21–10 win over Seattle in Super Bowl XL.

Whose 'Helmet Catch' kept the Giants' winning drive alive in Super Bowl XLII?

David Tyree pinned the ball to his helmet with one hand for 32 yards on third-and-5 with about a minute left, on the drive that turned a 14–10 deficit into a 17–14 Giants win.

Whose Super Bowl LIX pick-six was the first Super Bowl touchdown scored on a birthday?

Cooper DeJean returned a Patrick Mahomes pass 38 yards for a touchdown on his 22nd birthday, February 9, 2025, in the Eagles' 40–22 win; he was only the second rookie with a Super Bowl pick-six.

Which Raiders receiver was Super Bowl XI MVP despite totalling only 79 receiving yards?

Fred Biletnikoff's four catches for 79 yards set up three Oakland touchdowns in a 32–14 win over Minnesota; no receiver won the award with fewer than 100 yards again until 2022.

Marcus Allen's Super Bowl XVIII MVP day featured a then-record run of how many yards?

Marcus Allen reversed field on a 74-yard touchdown run, then the longest in Super Bowl history, and finished with 191 rushing yards as the Raiders crushed Washington 38–9.

How many touchdown passes did Steve Young throw in Super Bowl XXIX, a Super Bowl record?

Steve Young threw six touchdown passes, breaking Joe Montana's record of five, and also led the 49ers in rushing as they beat San Diego 49–26 for a fifth title.

Cowboys cornerback Larry Brown, MVP of Super Bowl XXX, had been drafted in which round?

Larry Brown, a 12th-round pick in 1991, was the first cornerback named Super Bowl MVP after two second-half interceptions of Neil O'Donnell that Dallas turned into touchdowns in a 27–17 win.

Which Super Bowl XXXII MVP missed most of the second quarter with a migraine?

Terrell Davis, blinded by the migraine, still ran for 157 yards and three touchdowns, the last a one-yard run with 1:45 left that beat Green Bay 31–24 and made him MVP.

In Katy Perry's beach-themed Super Bowl XLIX halftime show, dancers dressed as which animal, one of them becoming a meme?

One off-beat dancer became the 'Left Shark' meme; the sharks danced beside palm trees and beach balls, and the show's peak of 120 million viewers topped the game itself.

What was the final score of Super Bowl LIII, then the lowest-scoring Super Bowl?

New England beat the Rams 13–3 on February 3, 2019 in Atlanta; Sony Michel's two-yard run in the fourth quarter was the game's only touchdown, and the 16 total points were the fewest in any Super Bowl.