Super Bowl Sunday, an unofficial holiday to many, is a day that millions of Americans look forward to every year. 32 NFL teams start their season in September and compete for months trying to make it to the world’s biggest game with the hopes of hoisting the Lombardi trophy. Earlier this month, on Feb. 3, the New England Patriots faced off against the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII. It was a slow game, but ultimately the Patriots topped the Rams 13-3 in what was the lowest scoring Super Bowl in history.

Many considered this year’s Super Bowl to be the most boring game they’ve ever watched. This is partially why the NFL has worked to make the Super Bowl more of an event rather than just football in case the game itself isn’t quite as entertaining. The focus of the Super Bowl has changed. To many, it isn’t just about the game, but all of the entertainment and events surrounding it.

“Personally, I’m a huge fan of watching the actual game, even when it’s a more boring game, as this Super Bowl was,” senior Jonathan Grove stated. “With all of the Super Bowls I can remember, I haven’t really paid attention to the commercials or watched a second of the half time shows but I know and have talked to a lot of people who say they only watch for those reasons.”

Advertisements are a huge part of the Super Bowl, and to some, are more important than the game itself. Even with Super Bowl ratings declining the last few years, over 100 million people still tune in to watch the game or the commercials. Every year major companies such as Coca-Cola, Budweiser and Doritos create new, funny advertisements, purely to be played between the action of the game. In fact, Super Bowl commercials are so popular that 59% of people under the age of 44 say the best part of the game is the advertisements, according to the Huffington Post. Companies are aware how popular Super Bowl commercials are and are willing to paid top dollar for an advertisement to air. An ad for Super Bowl LIII costs roughly $5.3 million for a 30 second commercial.

Halftime shows have also become a huge part of the Super Bowl. Each year’s performers are announced months in advance of the game. This year’s featured Maroon 5 with Travis Scott and Big Boi as guest artists. In previous Super Bowls, stars such as Justin Timberlake, Katy Perry, Bruno Mars and Nicki Minaj headlined the halftime show and drew plenty of attention towards the game.

“Considering this years Super Bowl was the most boring game of the century, I would say the Super Bowl is definitely more about the commercials and entertainment. Sometimes the only way you can enjoy it is by watching with friends,” junior Evan Aland said, who watched the Super Bowl at a party this year.

In a way, the Super Bowl has become a tradition. On Super Bowl Sunday, friends gather at Super Bowl parties to eat food, watch commercials and root with or against one of the teams playing. The Super Bowl is different from regular football games. It is a full blown production that features many aspects other than just the game of football which is why the focus has shifted from the game to the buzz of entertainment surrounding it.