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The biggest of ‘Big Games’: Goodell says Super Bowl buzz ‘has never been higher’

Updated December 5, 2023 - 5:29 pm

With the 2024 Super Bowl in Las Vegas just 68 days away, it is shaping up to be potentially the biggest “Big Game” in NFL history.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said the fans and business partners of the league are excited to see what a Las Vegas Super Bowl has to offer.

“I would say the buzz, at least in our environment, has never been higher,” Goodell said during a Super Bowl brunch event Tuesday at Caesars Forum. “And again, I think that’s so much of what you’ve created here (in Las Vegas).”

CBS Sports will carry out the largest Super Bowl production in the network’s history with 110 cameras to be used during the Feb. 11 game at Allegiant Stadium, according to CBS Sports Chairman Sean McManus.

That includes 20 4K zoom devices for the highest-quality picture and replays, 20 cameras to be located in pylons, three drones and five aerial cameras in Allegiant Stadium. All will be controlled by crews stationed in 19 mobile broadcast units and delivered to a worldwide audience.

“We will have it all covered from every single angle,” McManus said in a pretaped video message.

CBS’ coverage will start on the Monday of Super Bowl week and feature 90 hours of original programming across the network’s sister outlets with Paramount Global. That will culminate in 10 hours of coverage on Super Bowl Sunday.

“We will be ready for Super Bowl week as we showcase not just the game itself, but also the city of Las Vegas and all its glory,” McManus said. “Las Vegas will be an incredible backdrop to the NFL’s biggest showcase.”

Advertising on CBS during the big game has already sold out, Goodell said, noting it was likely the fastest those spots have sold out in advance in Super Bowl history.

“That’s not a cheap ticket by the way. … That’s somewhere between $6 million to $7 million for a 30 -second commercial,” he said.

Ticket and suite sales for the game at Allegiant Stadium are “off the charts,” according to Goodell.

“We’re not going to have enough inventory to take care of everybody in the demand,” he said. “That is somewhat natural, but I think it’s happening sooner. I think that there are so many others that have not been part of a Super Bowl in the past that want to be part of this one.”

Hosting the game will culminate in a first for an NFL market. Las Vegas will become the only city to complete the trifecta of hosting an NFL Draft, a Pro Bowl and a Super Bowl. That’s no small feat especially as Las Vegas has only had an NFL team since 2020, when the Raiders relocated to Southern Nevada from Oakland, California.

“That has been a remarkable partnership in a very short period of time,” said Steve Hill, chairman and CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. “We’re glad to be a part of it, and it has changed Las Vegas.”

With the success the NFL has already had in Las Vegas, Goodell remarked that while this marks the city’s first Super Bowl, it won’t be the last.

“I have no doubt that this is going to be a successful Super Bowl and that we’ll be back here a lot for Super Bowls,” Goodell said.

Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on X.

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