As the New England Patriots face the Seattle Seahawks in a thrilling Super Bowl LX, here are some facts about the game’s rich history and records.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Super Bowl LX will feature the New England Patriots battling the Seattle Seahawks in Santa Clara, California. The winner will get the Vince Lombardi Trophy and all the glory in this 2015 rematch.
And with 60 years of history behind the big game, there are many interesting facts about the Super Bowl to brush up on before Feb. 8.
Super Bowl LX is what number? Why roman numerals?
Super Bowl LX is the 60th Super Bowl. According to the NFL, the big game used roman numerals starting with Super Bowl V, when the Baltimore Colts beat the Dallas Cowboys 16-13.
“The Roman numerals were adopted to clarify any confusion that may occur because the NFL Championship Game — the Super Bowl — is played in the year following a chronologically recorded season,” according to the NFL.
The NFL wanted to keep the Super Bowl number distinct from the annual season, because the 2023 season ends with a Super Bowl in 2024. The actual 24th Super Bowl, XXIV, was in 1990.
What was the most one-sided Super Bowl?
There has never been a shutout in a Super Bowl. The fewest points ever scored by a team is 3 (Dolphins in Super Bowl VI and Rams in Super Bowl LIII).
The biggest blowout was Super Bowl XXIV in 1990: The San Francisco 49ers beat the Denver Broncos 55-10, a 45-point victory.
The most points scored in a game came when the 49ers beat the San Diego Chargers 49-26 in Super Bowl XXIX to total a whopping 75 points.
Which teams have never made it to the Super Bowl?
In the 60 years of Super Bowl history, four teams have never made it: the Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars.
How many people watch the Super Bowl?
It’s no exaggeration to say that the Super Bowl is the biggest sporting event of the year for the U.S. More than 100 million people regularly tune in to the broadcast — roughly one third of the country’s population.
Last year’s Super Bowl, LIX, had an estimated 127.7 million viewers split across FOX, FOX Deportes and Telemundo and streamed on Tubi, according to The Nielsen Company. It was the most watched Super Bowl in history, up 3.2% from the previous record-setting audience in 2024.
Super Bowl costs
Those watching the Super Bowl expect to spend $94.77 per person on average for food, drinks, apparel, decorations and other purchases for the day, according to a survey by the National Retail Federation. That’s a record for the event and up nearly $9 from 2024.
The group’s 2024 survey found the game was most important to just 43% of viewers, followed by the halftime show being most important to 21% and the commercials being the most important part to 18%.
This Super Bowl is a 2015 rematch
Feb. 8 is the second time the Seahawks and Patriots will fight against one another for the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
In 2015, the Patriots defeated the Seahawks 28-24 in Super Bowl XLIX on Feb. 1.
The two franchises have a combined seven Super Bowl appearances. The Patriots alone have made it to six, with the Seahawks only having one (aside from this year’s appearance).
What was the longest Super Bowl?
The longest Super Bowl by elapsed time from kickoff to end of the game, was 4 hours and 14 minutes — 254 minutes — in Super Bowl XLVII between the 49ers and Baltimore Ravens. That’s due to a 34-minute delay when the lights went out in the New Orleans Superdome.
Super Bowl LVIII where the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in 2024 was the longest by play time. The game lasted 74 minutes and 57 seconds because the teams went into overtime, according to Yahoo Sports.
How big is the Vince Lombardi trophy?
The Vince Lombardi Trophy, the ultimate prize for winning a Super Bowl, is 7 pounds of pure sterling silver, standing 22 inches tall. But compared to other sports trophies, it’s miniscule.
The MLB World Series Commissioner’s Trophy weighs 30 pounds, standing around 24 inches tall. It’s made of silver as well.
The NBA’s Larry O’Brien Trophy is 15.5 pounds of sterling silver and vermeil, with a 24 karat gold overlay. It stands 24 inches tall.
For the NHL, the Stanley Cup clocks in at 34.5 pounds, and is the tallest of the bunch at 35.25 inches tall.
The most common QB number in the Super Bowl is 12
The most common jersey number for a starting quarterback is No. 12. It has appeared 31 times in the Super Bowl across the NFL’s 58 games. More quarterbacks have won the Super Bowl wearing that number than any other (18 times). But they’ve also lost more Super Bowls than any other (13 times).
Americans will eat how much chicken?!
According to the National Chicken Council, Americans consumed an estimated 1.48 billion chicken wings during the 2024 Super Bowl.
According to the group, that’s enough to circle Earth almost three times. It’s also enough to last you until 3430 if you eat one wing every 30 seconds.