The Super Bowl LVIII was a noteworthy event not just because of the longtime revenge match or because Taylor Swift was there, but to the number of political campaigns streamed throughout the game.
This year's final match between the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs has seen several ads from company boycotts, election campaigns, and even a promotion for a Catholic app.
Why Super Bowl?
With an audience count up to hundreds of millions every year, the Super Bowl is easily the biggest sporting event in the US.
Last year, Fox Sports recorded an average of 115.1 million concurrent viewers last year, 20 million higher than the previous season.
With this year's event hosting more notable figures like Swift, Elon Musk, Lady Gaga, and Justin Bieber than previous games, it is sure to attract more viewers.
This is to include the star-studded halftime performance many people are eager to catch every year.
Securing an ad spot during the game's primetime is sure to reach many people. And many groups, political figures, and companies really took advantage of this.
2024 Election Ad Campaigns
Most notable of the ads shown during the game was the campaign ad of presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that was funded by the super PAC American Values.
Kennedy denied knowing about the ad before it was broadcasted but immediately pinned the a la 1960s election ad on his X (formerly Twitter) account.
Our momentum is growing. It’s time for an Independent President to heal the divide in our country. 🇺🇸#Kennedy24 pic.twitter.com/6rwXW3AwAp
— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) February 12, 2024
American Values confirmed to Axios that the ad run cost them $7 million. US President Joe Biden also made a presence during the game despite declining for an interview for the second time. In time with the game's opening, the White House announced that Biden and his running partner Vice President Kamala Harris have made a campaign account on TikTok. The first video on the account was Biden weighing in on which team would win the game before making a jab at the "Dark Brandon" right-wing memes made amid his reelection campaign.
@bidenhq lol hey guys ♬ Fox nfl theme - Notrandompostsguy
The TikTok video currently has 3.1 million views, 324,800 likes, and 17,400 shares.
Related Article : Biden, Harris Bring Reelection Campaign to TikTok, Fish Young Voters
Israel's 'Bring Them Home Now' Ad on the NFL
Another controversial ad run that appeared ahead of last night's game was a sponsored video from Israel's National Public Diplomacy Directorate "raising awareness of the 136 hostages that remain in Hamas captivity".
Targeted at smart TVs, outdoor signages, and current affairs websites, the ad is expected to be viewed by more than 100 million people at home during the game's runtime.
The ad was also estimated to cost $7 million.
While it was not the first time the Super Bowl hosted an ad relating to foreign conflicts as it does with the Ukrainian war, it is rare to host an ad campaign sponsored by another government.
The Biden administration's support towards Israel has been heavily criticized for the continuous bombing in Gaza.
It comes that many users online blasted the National Football League for allowing to air the ad amid active calls for a ceasefire.
Israel, along with the US and UK, are among the nations that declined the UN's petition for a ceasefire in Gaza.
