It’s not easy to get two-thirds of the U.S. population to do the same thing at the same time. But that happened on Feb. 13, when 208 million Americans tuned in to Super Bowl LVI. The country’s most valuable sports league, the National Football League attracted 18.2 million fans to stadiums in 2021; its games represented 75 of the 100 most watched U.S. broadcasts—and the league just signed a new $113 billion TV contract. Football is just a game, but commissioner Roger Goodell’s NFL makes it a big one.
A weekly newsletter featuring conversations with the world’s top CEOs, managers, and founders. Join the Leadership Brief.
More Must-Read Stories From TIME
- Here’s How Effective the Original Vaccines Are Against Omicron
- The Promise—And Possible Perils—of Editing What We Say Online
- How Trump Survived Decades of Legal Trouble: Deny, Deflect, Delay, and Don't Put Anything in Writing
- Flint Is Still Shaken by its Water Crisis—and Residents Are Experiencing Long-Term Mental-Health Issues
- A Beer Shortage Is Brewing. A Volcano Is Partly to Blame
- How Fasting Can—and Can't—Improve Gut Health
- Cities Keep Enforcing Curfews for Teens, Despite Evidence They Don't Stop Crime
- Joe Manchin’s Red Tape Reform Could Supercharge Renewable Energy in the U.S.
- Column: We Should Talk More About What a Brilliant Actor Marilyn Monroe Was
