On Monday morning, when many poor saps around the country were sitting at their work desks, your humble correspondent was in the rowdy sports bar of an eastern suburbs pub watching the Super Bowl while sipping bottles of Budweiser and eating buffalo wings.
Entirely for work purposes, of course. I’m deeply offended that anyone would suggest otherwise.
The Royal Oak Hotel in Double Bay is a long way from State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, but the vibe was just as intoxicating as quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs notched a stunning 38-35 win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
The excitable scene was replicated in bars and clubs and restaurants across the country as Super Bowl’s rise in popularity continues.
For decades, the Melbourne Cup on the first Tuesday in November has been the preferred day for weekday-daytime drinking while watching a sporting event.
But that’s changing, especially for a younger demographic that feels uneasy about horseracing and follows American sports as closely — if not more — than the staples of NRL, AFL and cricket.
NFL fans at the Royal Oak Hotel in Double Bay.
For those sports fans, the second Monday in February has become the most important day on the sporting calendar, and it’s reflected in the large number of people who weren’t at their desks on Monday.
“The crowd here has tripled in the past two years,” says the Royal Oak’s general manager, Kristien Sykes. “It just gets bigger and bigger.”
Australia’s former NFL player, Colin Scotts, who played for the St Louis Cardinals and was host of festivities at the Oak on Monday, said: “The NFL is ripe. I can’t believe how many younger people come up to me to talk about the game and they know it better than me.”
According to the NFL’s ongoing study of 12 to 64-year-olds, there are 6.1 million fans in Australia, of which 1.2 million are considered “avid” fans. About 53 per cent of those are under the age of 34, with those in the under 25s bracket being the largest area of growth.
Kansas City’s Harrison Butker kicks the field goal to put his side up in the last quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles.Credit:Getty
As for the Super Bowl, total viewership last year in Australia was about 1.9 million, which was more than double the previous year. More than 112.3 million watched last year’s match in the US while there were 22 million viewers in other countries.
It’s impossible to know how many so-called Super Bowl events were held on Monday, but the NFL predicts it’s in the “hundreds, if not thousands” if the number of venues who reached out in the lead-up is any indication.
Further evidence of the game’s growing popularity is the number of supporter groups who travel to the US each year.
The Two4Seven sports travel business of former Wests Tigers star Robbie Farah has taken groups since 2019. (As an assistant coach at his former club, Farah didn’t go this year).
SEN chief executive Craig Hutchison has been hosting Super Bowl tours for more than a decade through the company’s sports marketing arm, Ballpark Entertainment.
The touring group is usually around 100 people. Numbers were down this year, but Hutchinson expects far greater interest in the next two years with Las Vegas and New Orleans the host cities.
“There’s a whole new wave of kids who have a new broadcast experience,” Hutchinson said. “This generation has grown up with widely available coverage of American sports.”
And it shows. SEN holds events around the country and also broadcasts the game. Gerard Whateley has called the past six Super Bowls from within the stadium.
Australia’s interest in Super Bowl also fascinates Americans — including the players.
I’ve covered three Super Bowls since 2016 and, at the countless media sessions afforded reporters throughout the week, many players are stunned to learn there are thousands of Australians cramming into bars on a Monday morning to watch American football.
Nevertheless, let’s call out Australia’s Super Bowl interest for what is — a chance to get drunk on Monday.
Indeed, the sight of young men on Monday at the Royal Oak wearing the jersey of Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, while doing the squawking eagle salute of Philadelphia, suggests there’s a long way to go before the code gains traction here.
There’s a vast difference between vague interest and an excuse to get drunk on a Monday morning.
But people like Eagles left tackle Jordan Mailata, Australia’s big investment in the match along with former AFL punter Arryn Siposs, helps sell the message.
When Mailata was a youngster growing up in Bankstown, he would skip school to watch the Super Bowl.
“I probably should have stayed in school,” he said last week. “I didn’t understand how to play the game. I was just watching mostly for the half-time performances.”
After the Eagles blew a 24-14 lead at half-time, maybe Mailata is wishing he should have stuck to Rihanna.
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