The Super Bowl is America's biggest annual sporting spectacle, where sports, entertainment, and sometimes a touch of controversy collide.
It's thought that more than 100 million people in the US will watch the main event, yet it's often the half-time show, epic commercials and, of course, the juicy rumours that get people scrolling on social media. Last year, over 500,000 accounts contributed to a total of 2.65 million posts across social media during the game.
So grab your snacks, get comfy, and let’s dive in as we uncover what’s true, what’s not, and what’s just wild!
Claim #1: The Super Bowl is scripted
Conspiracy theories that the Super Bowl is "scripted" have been around for a while.
Last year it was claimed that the Super Bowl was rigged in favour of the Kansas City Chiefs. Social media posts claimed that in exchange for the team's victory, Taylor Swift (who is dating player Travis Kelce) would endorse former US President Joe Biden's campaign for re-election.
The boss of America's National Football League, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, responded to the theory, saying: "I'm not that good a scripter. The idea that this is within a script, this is pre-planned, is just nonsense. It's frankly not even worth talking about."
Conspiracy theories have existed for a long time, but social media has helped them to spread quicker than ever. They often start within small circles of online communities, but as they are picked up on by more people, with bigger influence, they are able to grow and spread more widely.
If you're unsure about something you are reading, look at reputable sources to see if there has been an official response to the story. In this case, a search would find the BBC Sport article where an NFL official dismissed the conspiracy theory.
Claim #2: Jay-Z picks the Super Bowl half-time show performer
American rapper, entrepreneur, and music mogul Jay-Z is widely considered one of the greatest rappers of all time, so it's possible that he’d have some influence on the Super Bowl half-time show, right?
Jay-Z’s company Roc Nation has had a partnership with the NFL to produce the Super Bowl half-time show since 2020, when it was co-headlined by Jennifer Lopez and Shakira. Executive producer Jesse Collins, who works alongside Jay-Z on the show, appeared to confirm the rumours about the rapper picking the performer in a September 2024 interview with Variety. He told the publication: “It’s a decision that Jay makes. Since we’ve been on board with that show, he’s made it every year, and it’s been amazing. He’s always picked right!”
Last year's 13-minute half-time show starring R&B singer Usher averaged 129.3 million viewers, and had a peak of 25,000 mentions per minute on socials.
Claim #3: TV adverts cost over $8 million during the Super Bowl
Whether it’s Beyoncé announcing a surprise new album, or Jennifer Aniston and David Beckham having a “forgetful moment” with Uber Eats, the Super Bowl ads have become a cultural event all on their own. And yes, that means the price tag is as hefty as you might think!
A 30-second spot during this year’s game will reportedly cost over $8 million (£6.5 million) and Amazon’s 2022 ad is said to be the most expensive Super Bowl commercial ever, with the ad slot costing $26 million.
Last year's big winner during the commercials was Beyoncé, who gained a staggering 254,844 new Instagram followers over the weekend.
The top two brands from last year's ads (Temu and Verizon) were each mentioned on socials more than 30,000 times during the game, however, it was Beyoncé who was most popular, with 75,000 mentions during the game.
There are sure to be loads of talking points during this year's Super Bowl and, as we've seen, the biggest winners of the weekend might not be the team who triumph on the field. Instead, the winners are likely to be the celebrities and brands who will be trending as a result of the event including half-time show headliner Kendrick Lamar.
If you're following along and see outlandish claims that you don't think are true, make sure you do your own research by searching for more information on reputable sites and checking official social media accounts to see what they are saying.
Not sure if the news you’re seeing on social media is true or false? Can you always tell if the things you see online are real or fake? Learn how to get the other side of the story with our quizzes, videos and explainers.
