Super Bowl Has Seen Some Changes Since First Game In 1967

February 5, 2026 adminsr

(Original Caption) 1/1/1967-Los Anegels, CA- Green Bay Packers Vince Lombardi (r) is shown with Jim Taylor (31) and Bart Starr (15) on the sidelines during the Super Bowl game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

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When the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks line up for the 60^th renewal of professional football’s “world championship”, the veteran fans will see some things have changed over the years. This is not your grandpa’s title tilt anymore and this ‘Ship has transformed from the SS Minnow to a four-story Carnival Cruise Liner since first sailing back in 1967.

To lend a little perspective, on January 15, 1967, the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League met the Kansas City Chiefs from the American Football League to decide just who was the best in professional football. The much older NFL saw the fledgling AFL gain prominence to the point a merger had been proposed. But before the league’s came together after the 1969 season, a game between the two league champs was proposed. That first game was played in Los Angelos at the Coliseum with ticket prices ranging between $6 and $12. The game was not a sellout and some 33,000 seats were left vacant. Because each league had their own network, the game was telecast by both NBC and CBS with a 30 second commercial costing some $42,000.

Since that Packer win in 1967, the game has morphed into a multi-billion dollar event. With the increased popularity of professional football over the years, this championship has become one of the biggest sporting events in the world. Because there will be over 100 million viewers on television in the United States alone, that 30 second commercial spot will now sell for about $10 million. And oh by the way, that “cheap seat” that once went for 6 bucks now sells for in excess of $5400.

“It really is amazing to think about how far this game has come since it’s inception”, says Jeff Fisher, who won a Super Bowl ring with the Chicago Bears in 1985 as a player and then was the head coach of the Tennessee Titans for the XXXIV in 2000. “The NFL has done an extraordinary job of cultivating this into what it has become. This puts football on one of the biggest stages on earth and brings a tremendous audience to the sport.”

Tennessee Titans head coach Jeff Fisher before the Titans 23-16 loss to the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXIV on January 30, 2000 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Allen Kee/Getty Images)

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That audience will indeed feature eyes from all over the world. Trend-setting commercials, halftime extravaganzas, and a two-week buildup to these four quarters adds to the spectacle that surrounds the sport. For many of the casual viewers, it is a larger-than-life event with lots of glitz and glamour. For those gridiron gladiators, however, this is still about deciding superiority in a sport built on toughness and determination.

“The Super Bowl is now one of the largest events in the sporting world, but at the end of the day it is still about football”, says Fisher, who played for hardliner Mike Ditka in Chicago and coached under a steadfast Buddy Ryan before leading the Titans for 16 seasons. “Winning a ring is the ultimate goal of every player and coach. You find ways to block out all the outside noise and try and keep your focus on the task at hand, which is winning a football game.”

As the New England Patriots look for a record setting seventh Super Bowl win and Seattle tries to secure its first championship, it will be obvious to the veteran fan this is not the same event created by then NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle and AFL founder Lamar Hunt. At the same time however, despite all that now surrounds the event, they will still be playing a football game.

DENVER, COLORADO – JANUARY 25: Mack Hollins #13 of the New England Patriots makes a catch against Dre Greenlaw #57 of the Denver Broncos during the third quarter in the AFC Championship Playoff game at Empower Field At Mile High on January 25, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)

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Kickoff for Super Bowl LV is slated for 6:30 pm eastern time on February 8. The game will be played at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.