1 00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:03,720 Speaker 1: Already and this this is the Daily ARS. This is 2 00:00:03,720 --> 00:00:06,880 Speaker 1: the Daily ohs oh, now it makes sense. 3 00:00:15,720 --> 00:00:18,400 Speaker 2: Good morning and welcome to the Daily OS. It's Monday, 4 00:00:18,440 --> 00:00:21,720 Speaker 2: the twelfth of February. I'm Zara, I'm Billy. Today is 5 00:00:21,760 --> 00:00:25,560 Speaker 2: the Super Bowl. It's the championship game of American Football 6 00:00:25,720 --> 00:00:28,680 Speaker 2: also known as NFL. It's fair to say that it 7 00:00:28,720 --> 00:00:31,520 Speaker 2: has become one of the biggest annual events in the 8 00:00:31,640 --> 00:00:35,080 Speaker 2: US since it first began in nineteen sixty seven, and 9 00:00:35,120 --> 00:00:39,120 Speaker 2: it just continues to grow in popularity even here in Australia. 10 00:00:39,760 --> 00:00:42,880 Speaker 2: And so we wanted to understand what's actually so unique 11 00:00:42,920 --> 00:00:46,159 Speaker 2: about the Super Bowl that it's become this huge global 12 00:00:46,200 --> 00:00:50,280 Speaker 2: sporting event like no other. Well, Billy has interviewed Associate 13 00:00:50,280 --> 00:00:53,560 Speaker 2: Professor in American Politics David Smith from the United States 14 00:00:53,600 --> 00:00:57,560 Speaker 2: Study Center to understand the cultural significance of the Super Bowl. 15 00:00:58,160 --> 00:01:00,680 Speaker 2: Before we get there, though, Billy, let's make headlines. 16 00:01:03,320 --> 00:01:08,200 Speaker 1: The US Communications Authority has made AI generated robo calls illegal, 17 00:01:08,319 --> 00:01:12,399 Speaker 1: and robo calls are automated telephone calls. It comes amid 18 00:01:12,480 --> 00:01:18,080 Speaker 1: growing concern over AI generated voices impersonating celebrities and driving misinformation, 19 00:01:18,640 --> 00:01:22,440 Speaker 1: including recent robo calls impersonating Joe Biden telling people not 20 00:01:22,480 --> 00:01:26,080 Speaker 1: to vote in the US primary elections. The Federal Communications 21 00:01:26,080 --> 00:01:30,600 Speaker 1: Commission has now ruled voice cloning or robocall scams illegal. 22 00:01:32,440 --> 00:01:35,959 Speaker 2: Israel's military is expected to launch a ground invasion in Rufa, 23 00:01:36,160 --> 00:01:39,400 Speaker 2: a city in southern Gaza where over a million Palestinian 24 00:01:39,440 --> 00:01:44,119 Speaker 2: people are currently seeking refuge. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 25 00:01:44,440 --> 00:01:48,040 Speaker 2: ordered plans for the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of civilians, 26 00:01:48,560 --> 00:01:51,360 Speaker 2: saying quote, it is impossible to achieve the goal of 27 00:01:51,360 --> 00:01:54,440 Speaker 2: the war without eliminating Hamas and by leaving four Hummas 28 00:01:54,480 --> 00:01:58,960 Speaker 2: battalions in Rafa. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterrez has said 29 00:01:59,120 --> 00:02:02,840 Speaker 2: quote such action would exponentially increase what is already a 30 00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:08,160 Speaker 2: humanitarian nightmare with untold regional consequences. Nearly twenty eight thousand 31 00:02:08,200 --> 00:02:11,320 Speaker 2: Palestinians have been killed by Israel's war in Gaza since 32 00:02:11,360 --> 00:02:15,040 Speaker 2: the seventh of October, when Hummas launched an attack on Israel, 33 00:02:15,120 --> 00:02:19,840 Speaker 2: killing more than twelve hundred people. The government in Meynmar 34 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:23,400 Speaker 2: has announced compulsory military service for young men and women 35 00:02:23,480 --> 00:02:26,440 Speaker 2: in the country. The conscription law will come into effect 36 00:02:26,520 --> 00:02:30,000 Speaker 2: immediately and it will require all men aged eighteen to 37 00:02:30,040 --> 00:02:33,480 Speaker 2: thirty five and women aged eighteen to twenty seven to 38 00:02:33,560 --> 00:02:36,760 Speaker 2: serve for at least two years. The military seized control 39 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:39,160 Speaker 2: of me and Maar in February of twenty twenty one, 40 00:02:39,440 --> 00:02:41,880 Speaker 2: just as a new session of parliament was about to begin, 41 00:02:42,120 --> 00:02:44,200 Speaker 2: and has ruled in the country ever since. 42 00:02:46,040 --> 00:02:49,520 Speaker 1: And today's good news greenhouse gases and carbon dioxide could 43 00:02:49,560 --> 00:02:53,720 Speaker 1: be transformed into a carbon free fuel. Research has successfully 44 00:02:53,760 --> 00:02:57,280 Speaker 1: converted emissions to formic acid, which is a chemical compound 45 00:02:57,400 --> 00:03:00,400 Speaker 1: naturally produced by ants that could be used to store 46 00:03:00,440 --> 00:03:04,160 Speaker 1: electrical energy. Scientists at the University of Auckland said the 47 00:03:04,160 --> 00:03:08,440 Speaker 1: breakthrough opens up exciting possibilities for carbon neutral technologies and 48 00:03:08,480 --> 00:03:12,360 Speaker 1: could see cars running on repurposed carbon dioxide in the future. 49 00:03:15,840 --> 00:03:18,800 Speaker 2: Okay, so, Billy, you had an uphill battle ahead of 50 00:03:18,840 --> 00:03:22,400 Speaker 2: you when it came to convincing me that this should 51 00:03:22,440 --> 00:03:26,360 Speaker 2: be an episode on the Daily Pod. What was your logic? 52 00:03:26,520 --> 00:03:28,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, Look, it's not one of the battles that I 53 00:03:28,240 --> 00:03:32,160 Speaker 1: thought I would pick with you, but obviously it is today. 54 00:03:32,320 --> 00:03:34,440 Speaker 1: And I'm not sure if I've just been hearing more 55 00:03:34,440 --> 00:03:37,320 Speaker 1: about the Super Bowl because of all of the noise 56 00:03:37,360 --> 00:03:40,480 Speaker 1: that has been surrounding Taylor Swift, who is obviously dating 57 00:03:40,720 --> 00:03:41,840 Speaker 1: Travis Kelcey. 58 00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:44,720 Speaker 2: Obviously obvious to all our listeners. 59 00:03:44,360 --> 00:03:47,200 Speaker 1: Who's one of the players in the Chiefs who are 60 00:03:47,200 --> 00:03:50,240 Speaker 1: in the championship. That is more American football knowledge than 61 00:03:50,280 --> 00:03:52,520 Speaker 1: I have ever had in my life. But it does 62 00:03:52,600 --> 00:03:55,960 Speaker 1: really feel like it has this hold on culture, not 63 00:03:56,040 --> 00:03:59,840 Speaker 1: just in America but worldwide, unlike any other sporting event 64 00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:02,320 Speaker 1: I can think of, and it's so big. This is 65 00:04:02,320 --> 00:04:04,800 Speaker 1: a fact I learned this morning that artists will perform 66 00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:08,200 Speaker 1: during halftime for free. They don't get paid for that, 67 00:04:08,920 --> 00:04:11,680 Speaker 1: and it's so interesting. And people in the office were 68 00:04:11,720 --> 00:04:14,200 Speaker 1: saying that some of their friends here in Australia actually 69 00:04:14,280 --> 00:04:16,240 Speaker 1: take the day off to watch it. 70 00:04:16,720 --> 00:04:20,520 Speaker 2: I vividly recall me saying that's crazy, that's definitely not 71 00:04:20,560 --> 00:04:22,920 Speaker 2: the case, and you're telling me I'm out of touch. 72 00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:27,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, tends to be how our conversations go. Now are 73 00:04:27,320 --> 00:04:29,520 Speaker 1: you did have a birthday the other day, So I 74 00:04:29,600 --> 00:04:33,039 Speaker 1: really did want to understand the rise in the Super 75 00:04:33,080 --> 00:04:35,960 Speaker 1: Bowl's popularity and what it is about the super Bowl 76 00:04:36,040 --> 00:04:38,960 Speaker 1: that has seen it become this cultural juggernaut that just 77 00:04:39,080 --> 00:04:43,120 Speaker 1: feels really quite unique. So here is my chat, David, 78 00:04:43,160 --> 00:04:45,960 Speaker 1: Thank you so much for joining the daily Ods today. 79 00:04:46,640 --> 00:04:50,560 Speaker 1: Now the super Bowl is happening today. It's a massive event. 80 00:04:51,040 --> 00:04:53,880 Speaker 1: Can you start by just taking us through what actually 81 00:04:53,920 --> 00:04:54,719 Speaker 1: is the super Bowl? 82 00:04:55,040 --> 00:04:57,520 Speaker 3: So the super Bowl is the Grand final of the 83 00:04:57,600 --> 00:05:02,120 Speaker 3: National Football League of American Football. American football is the 84 00:05:02,120 --> 00:05:05,320 Speaker 3: most popular sport in the United States with all groups 85 00:05:05,400 --> 00:05:08,479 Speaker 3: of people, but the super Bowl is a lot bigger 86 00:05:08,520 --> 00:05:12,640 Speaker 3: than that because more than one hundred million Americans watch 87 00:05:12,760 --> 00:05:16,960 Speaker 3: the super Bowl. There is no other time when every 88 00:05:17,000 --> 00:05:20,720 Speaker 3: American is focused on the same thing, not even elections, 89 00:05:21,080 --> 00:05:25,559 Speaker 3: and so advertising during the super Bowl is huge because 90 00:05:25,600 --> 00:05:29,000 Speaker 3: advertisers know how many people are watching, and they know 91 00:05:29,080 --> 00:05:31,360 Speaker 3: that people will be talking to each other about the ads. 92 00:05:31,800 --> 00:05:36,520 Speaker 3: The halftime show is huge. Back in nineteen ninety two, 93 00:05:37,040 --> 00:05:40,080 Speaker 3: before there was really a super Bowl halftime show, there 94 00:05:40,160 --> 00:05:44,000 Speaker 3: was a rival network that actually decided to show an 95 00:05:44,040 --> 00:05:47,880 Speaker 3: episode of a comedy show called in Living Color during 96 00:05:48,200 --> 00:05:50,799 Speaker 3: halftime of the super Bowl, and they found that twenty 97 00:05:50,880 --> 00:05:53,000 Speaker 3: median people turned over to watch it because they were 98 00:05:53,040 --> 00:05:56,880 Speaker 3: all watching TV anyway. When that happened, the NFL said, 99 00:05:56,920 --> 00:06:00,960 Speaker 3: we've got to have an actual entertainment spectacle at half time, 100 00:06:01,400 --> 00:06:04,560 Speaker 3: and so the super Bowl halftime show in its own right, 101 00:06:04,640 --> 00:06:08,600 Speaker 3: has become a massive phenomenon which probably more people watched 102 00:06:08,640 --> 00:06:12,800 Speaker 3: that than watch the game. So the super Bowl is 103 00:06:12,800 --> 00:06:15,400 Speaker 3: a lot bigger than the game itself. As important as 104 00:06:15,400 --> 00:06:15,960 Speaker 3: the game is. 105 00:06:16,400 --> 00:06:18,520 Speaker 1: You touch a whole lot of things there that I 106 00:06:18,560 --> 00:06:20,520 Speaker 1: want to dive deeper on. But first, can you just 107 00:06:20,600 --> 00:06:24,919 Speaker 1: talk more about the cultural significance of this event and 108 00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:26,640 Speaker 1: has it increased over time? 109 00:06:27,240 --> 00:06:30,520 Speaker 3: Yeah, it has increased over time. So it began in 110 00:06:30,520 --> 00:06:34,320 Speaker 3: the nineteen sixties when there were actually two American football 111 00:06:34,400 --> 00:06:37,760 Speaker 3: leagues and this was where the winners of those leagues 112 00:06:37,880 --> 00:06:43,960 Speaker 3: played each other. Now, since then, it's become this biggest 113 00:06:43,960 --> 00:06:49,560 Speaker 3: event in American sport. American football is the king of television. 114 00:06:49,839 --> 00:06:53,400 Speaker 3: There's no other American sport that works so well on 115 00:06:53,440 --> 00:06:57,919 Speaker 3: television as American football does. And it's become this real 116 00:06:58,480 --> 00:07:02,440 Speaker 3: focal point for American life. It's not just that everybody 117 00:07:02,480 --> 00:07:06,120 Speaker 3: is watching, it's that everyone knows that everybody else is watching. 118 00:07:06,200 --> 00:07:08,919 Speaker 3: So if you want something to talk about, the Super 119 00:07:08,920 --> 00:07:12,400 Speaker 3: Bowl is going to be it. And when you think 120 00:07:12,440 --> 00:07:17,600 Speaker 3: about how many things in American life have fragmented, you know, 121 00:07:17,640 --> 00:07:21,720 Speaker 3: there's no longer just three big TV stations that dominate everything. 122 00:07:22,320 --> 00:07:25,160 Speaker 3: Whoever the president is at any given time, half the 123 00:07:25,240 --> 00:07:29,280 Speaker 3: country hates them. There are very few things left in 124 00:07:29,360 --> 00:07:34,160 Speaker 3: American life that everyone agrees on and that everyone focuses on. 125 00:07:34,280 --> 00:07:37,120 Speaker 3: The super Bowl is one of those few things that's left. 126 00:07:37,320 --> 00:07:39,720 Speaker 1: You said before that more people are watching the super 127 00:07:39,720 --> 00:07:42,720 Speaker 1: Bowl than are watching the election, and I guess I 128 00:07:42,720 --> 00:07:44,600 Speaker 1: want to talk about you know, people have said that 129 00:07:44,680 --> 00:07:48,280 Speaker 1: the US's political power on a global stage is waning, 130 00:07:48,720 --> 00:07:52,040 Speaker 1: but the super Bowl clearly shows that its cultural power 131 00:07:52,320 --> 00:07:54,800 Speaker 1: remains dominant. Do you think that's true. 132 00:07:55,280 --> 00:08:01,240 Speaker 3: It really does remain very dominant culturally, and certainly over 133 00:08:01,280 --> 00:08:03,680 Speaker 3: the last thirty years, you can look at all kinds 134 00:08:03,680 --> 00:08:07,880 Speaker 3: of ways in which American power has slipped. China has 135 00:08:07,880 --> 00:08:12,680 Speaker 3: caught up economically, it's no longer as militarily all powerful 136 00:08:12,760 --> 00:08:14,920 Speaker 3: as it once was, and maybe doesn't even have the 137 00:08:14,960 --> 00:08:18,560 Speaker 3: political sway that it once was. But the role of 138 00:08:18,600 --> 00:08:22,640 Speaker 3: American culture in the world hasn't changed very much at all. 139 00:08:23,280 --> 00:08:27,000 Speaker 3: If we think, just as Australians of how much music 140 00:08:27,040 --> 00:08:28,960 Speaker 3: that we listen to as American, how many of the 141 00:08:28,960 --> 00:08:31,800 Speaker 3: movies that we watch American, how much TV that we 142 00:08:31,880 --> 00:08:36,400 Speaker 3: watch is American. That's not unique to Australia. For many 143 00:08:36,440 --> 00:08:40,480 Speaker 3: many countries, the United States is like their second culture, 144 00:08:40,760 --> 00:08:43,520 Speaker 3: and a lot of people follow American culture as closely 145 00:08:43,559 --> 00:08:47,040 Speaker 3: as they follow their own. And yeah, the continuing popularity 146 00:08:47,080 --> 00:08:50,079 Speaker 3: of the super Bowl, which is really a thought that 147 00:08:50,120 --> 00:08:53,560 Speaker 3: most people outside the US don't play, that's really a 148 00:08:53,640 --> 00:08:55,280 Speaker 3: testament to America's cultural power. 149 00:08:56,120 --> 00:08:58,880 Speaker 1: I want to understand what is so unique about the 150 00:08:58,920 --> 00:09:01,760 Speaker 1: super Bowl? Why is so much bigger than any It 151 00:09:01,760 --> 00:09:04,120 Speaker 1: feels like it's bigger than the Olympics, almost certainly for 152 00:09:04,200 --> 00:09:08,160 Speaker 1: a day. Why is it so popular? What's unique about it? 153 00:09:08,160 --> 00:09:10,679 Speaker 3: It's because it's a single event. It's a single event 154 00:09:10,760 --> 00:09:13,440 Speaker 3: that just happens over a few hours. It's not like 155 00:09:13,520 --> 00:09:16,119 Speaker 3: the Olympics, which takes place over a couple of weeks. 156 00:09:16,400 --> 00:09:19,880 Speaker 3: If you look at the sports globally that are the 157 00:09:19,880 --> 00:09:24,720 Speaker 3: biggest competitors to the super Bowl, the big European football league, 158 00:09:25,440 --> 00:09:29,080 Speaker 3: they generally don't have a kind of grand final in 159 00:09:29,120 --> 00:09:32,480 Speaker 3: the same way. They're decided by a pure league structure. 160 00:09:34,320 --> 00:09:36,600 Speaker 3: The World Cup in soccer. Once again, it goes on 161 00:09:36,840 --> 00:09:40,640 Speaker 3: for quite a long time. The uniqueness of the super 162 00:09:40,679 --> 00:09:43,640 Speaker 3: Bowl is just that it's this single event, and so 163 00:09:43,880 --> 00:09:45,640 Speaker 3: a lot of people who watch it in the United 164 00:09:45,679 --> 00:09:50,240 Speaker 3: States and globally don't watch another game of American football 165 00:09:50,400 --> 00:09:52,760 Speaker 3: all year. They don't feel that they need to. This 166 00:09:52,920 --> 00:09:54,360 Speaker 3: is the one event. 167 00:09:54,720 --> 00:09:57,320 Speaker 1: I am definitely in that cab. I want to talk 168 00:09:57,360 --> 00:10:00,040 Speaker 1: about the halftime show because I think, like me, a 169 00:10:00,080 --> 00:10:02,079 Speaker 1: lot of people listening will know the Super Bowl for 170 00:10:02,280 --> 00:10:06,480 Speaker 1: its halftime too. How important is that to the future 171 00:10:06,679 --> 00:10:07,720 Speaker 1: of its popularity. 172 00:10:08,240 --> 00:10:11,560 Speaker 3: That continues to be very important to it because that's 173 00:10:11,600 --> 00:10:14,000 Speaker 3: one of the reasons why there are so many people 174 00:10:14,280 --> 00:10:16,840 Speaker 3: watching it. That and the ads. A lot of people 175 00:10:16,920 --> 00:10:20,000 Speaker 3: don't really have any interest in American football at all, 176 00:10:20,400 --> 00:10:23,920 Speaker 3: but they have a lot of interest in this. In particular, 177 00:10:24,160 --> 00:10:27,600 Speaker 3: it is very important for the NFL to continue to 178 00:10:27,640 --> 00:10:32,960 Speaker 3: attract female viewers, and this is a potential problem that 179 00:10:33,280 --> 00:10:37,240 Speaker 3: it has. Even though American football is a very popular sport, 180 00:10:37,760 --> 00:10:41,439 Speaker 3: it has this very big long term problem, which is 181 00:10:41,640 --> 00:10:44,120 Speaker 3: that it's very well known that it's a dangerous sport 182 00:10:44,200 --> 00:10:49,040 Speaker 3: to play. People especially risk brain damage from American football. 183 00:10:49,080 --> 00:10:53,280 Speaker 3: So there is constant concern in all ranks of American 184 00:10:53,280 --> 00:10:57,280 Speaker 3: football that parents and in particular mothers are not going 185 00:10:57,320 --> 00:11:00,920 Speaker 3: to let their children play football in the future, and 186 00:11:01,000 --> 00:11:05,079 Speaker 3: ultimately there'll be no more players. I think it's for 187 00:11:05,120 --> 00:11:08,319 Speaker 3: this reason as much as anything, that the NFL has 188 00:11:08,400 --> 00:11:13,559 Speaker 3: so much focus on attracting female viewers, and the super 189 00:11:13,559 --> 00:11:17,800 Speaker 3: Bowl halftime show is part of that. So that's one 190 00:11:17,800 --> 00:11:19,240 Speaker 3: of the reasons why it's so important. 191 00:11:19,600 --> 00:11:22,000 Speaker 1: I think we have to mention that Taylor Swift definitely 192 00:11:22,040 --> 00:11:25,880 Speaker 1: would have mentioned with attracting a female audience across the season. 193 00:11:26,400 --> 00:11:29,000 Speaker 3: Yes, absolutely, I learned this morning. 194 00:11:29,240 --> 00:11:30,640 Speaker 1: And I don't know if it's true or not, but 195 00:11:30,679 --> 00:11:34,560 Speaker 1: apparently the musicians doing the halftime show don't get paid. 196 00:11:34,920 --> 00:11:35,440 Speaker 1: Is that right? 197 00:11:35,760 --> 00:11:39,880 Speaker 3: That is absolutely correct. They notoriously don't get paid for 198 00:11:39,920 --> 00:11:43,679 Speaker 3: the halftime show. And the reason for this is that 199 00:11:43,720 --> 00:11:47,360 Speaker 3: for just about any artist in America, playing the super 200 00:11:47,360 --> 00:11:52,040 Speaker 3: Bowl halftime show is such a profile boosting thing that 201 00:11:52,320 --> 00:11:55,720 Speaker 3: it's worth their time to do it without actually getting paid. 202 00:11:56,240 --> 00:11:58,360 Speaker 3: You know, Taylor Swift might be the only artist in 203 00:11:58,440 --> 00:12:02,040 Speaker 3: America who would be an accept to that rule. The 204 00:12:02,080 --> 00:12:05,240 Speaker 3: first major super Bowl halftime show in nineteen ninety three 205 00:12:05,440 --> 00:12:09,120 Speaker 3: was Michael Jackson, who was absolutely huge at that time, 206 00:12:09,880 --> 00:12:13,960 Speaker 3: but even for him, the opportunity to perform effectively in 207 00:12:14,000 --> 00:12:17,160 Speaker 3: front of an audience of one hundred million people was 208 00:12:17,200 --> 00:12:19,719 Speaker 3: too good to pass up. And if you look at 209 00:12:19,720 --> 00:12:22,200 Speaker 3: some of the acts that they've had over the years, 210 00:12:22,240 --> 00:12:26,240 Speaker 3: like U two in two thousand and one, like the 211 00:12:26,360 --> 00:12:30,920 Speaker 3: Rolling Stones. You know, these historically hugely significant bands. It 212 00:12:31,000 --> 00:12:33,400 Speaker 3: is worth their while for all of them to play 213 00:12:33,440 --> 00:12:35,720 Speaker 3: this show just because so many people are watching. 214 00:12:36,320 --> 00:12:39,760 Speaker 1: So interesting, and you mentioned before the ads, which like 215 00:12:39,800 --> 00:12:43,160 Speaker 1: the halftime show, are just as famous as the actual football. 216 00:12:44,000 --> 00:12:47,120 Speaker 1: I read that it's something like seven million US dollars 217 00:12:47,160 --> 00:12:49,880 Speaker 1: to advertise. Why is it so expensive. 218 00:12:50,240 --> 00:12:54,040 Speaker 3: It's so expensive because they know how many people are watching. 219 00:12:54,600 --> 00:12:58,440 Speaker 3: The power of Super Bowl halftime ads really became apparent 220 00:12:58,720 --> 00:13:02,800 Speaker 3: back in nineteen eighty four when Apple Computing, which is 221 00:13:03,000 --> 00:13:05,559 Speaker 3: nowhere near as big and powerful as it is now, 222 00:13:05,720 --> 00:13:09,800 Speaker 3: they were like the startup kids back then. They had 223 00:13:09,840 --> 00:13:14,959 Speaker 3: this very famous ad which depicted someone throwing a hammer 224 00:13:15,040 --> 00:13:18,640 Speaker 3: at a screen and smashing it, and the screen represented IBM, 225 00:13:18,720 --> 00:13:22,000 Speaker 3: which was the all powerful computing company, and that year 226 00:13:22,040 --> 00:13:24,679 Speaker 3: I think ninety million people were watching it, and then 227 00:13:24,800 --> 00:13:27,920 Speaker 3: the next day everyone was talking about Apple Computing. This 228 00:13:28,080 --> 00:13:30,880 Speaker 3: was just as the home computing market was beginning to 229 00:13:30,880 --> 00:13:34,520 Speaker 3: take off and Apple was a new competitor in it. 230 00:13:34,640 --> 00:13:38,960 Speaker 3: So after that people really realized the power of the ads. 231 00:13:39,000 --> 00:13:41,040 Speaker 3: It's not just that so many people are watching it, 232 00:13:41,040 --> 00:13:43,920 Speaker 3: it's that so many people talk about it. There are 233 00:13:43,960 --> 00:13:48,000 Speaker 3: all kinds of media outlets in America that have recaps 234 00:13:48,000 --> 00:13:51,560 Speaker 3: of the Super Bowl ads. Certainly from my time living 235 00:13:51,600 --> 00:13:53,720 Speaker 3: in the US for seven years, a lot of the 236 00:13:53,800 --> 00:13:57,440 Speaker 3: conversation on Monday morning in workplaces was going to be 237 00:13:57,559 --> 00:13:59,959 Speaker 3: about the ads, even more so than the game itself. 238 00:14:00,080 --> 00:14:02,080 Speaker 3: So it's not just that they know that people are 239 00:14:02,080 --> 00:14:04,559 Speaker 3: watching it, they know that people are talking about it. 240 00:14:04,640 --> 00:14:07,920 Speaker 3: So it's a self perpetuating advertising machine. 241 00:14:08,720 --> 00:14:11,080 Speaker 1: Feels like one of the only times that people actually 242 00:14:11,200 --> 00:14:14,000 Speaker 1: like watching ads, which is a very hard thing to do. 243 00:14:14,760 --> 00:14:17,800 Speaker 1: I just want to end on Australia because it does 244 00:14:17,840 --> 00:14:21,680 Speaker 1: feel like it's becoming even more popular in Australia. Some 245 00:14:21,760 --> 00:14:23,640 Speaker 1: of the people in the office were even saying that 246 00:14:23,680 --> 00:14:25,160 Speaker 1: they were asked whether they were going to take the 247 00:14:25,280 --> 00:14:29,720 Speaker 1: day off to watch Why is that that's so popular 248 00:14:29,760 --> 00:14:31,520 Speaker 1: in Australia. 249 00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:33,040 Speaker 3: And I will confess I am taking the day off 250 00:14:33,080 --> 00:14:34,240 Speaker 3: to watch the Super Bowl. 251 00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:36,400 Speaker 1: Well, you're the right person to be talking. 252 00:14:38,080 --> 00:14:41,760 Speaker 3: This is a really interesting question because I've watched the 253 00:14:42,160 --> 00:14:46,280 Speaker 3: status of American football really grow in Australia over the 254 00:14:46,360 --> 00:14:50,080 Speaker 3: last thirty years. Thirty years ago when I started watching it, 255 00:14:50,320 --> 00:14:54,280 Speaker 3: the Super Bowl was shown on ABC and the only 256 00:14:54,320 --> 00:14:56,640 Speaker 3: time that you could watch American football outside of the 257 00:14:56,680 --> 00:15:00,440 Speaker 3: Super Bowl was this late night show on ABC on 258 00:15:00,520 --> 00:15:03,560 Speaker 3: Tuesday Night, hosted by Don Lane, which wouldn't even show 259 00:15:03,560 --> 00:15:06,680 Speaker 3: you a complete game, it was showing you highlight packages. 260 00:15:07,200 --> 00:15:09,520 Speaker 3: Now there have been some very important things that have 261 00:15:09,600 --> 00:15:13,160 Speaker 3: changed since then. First of all, the arrival of PayTV 262 00:15:13,360 --> 00:15:16,680 Speaker 3: in Australia in the mid nineties, which even though the 263 00:15:16,720 --> 00:15:19,680 Speaker 3: majority of Australians don't have PayTV, a lot of them 264 00:15:19,720 --> 00:15:23,800 Speaker 3: do have sports streaming services. But most importantly, pubs all 265 00:15:23,840 --> 00:15:27,880 Speaker 3: have PayTV and clubs have them. So like twenty years ago, 266 00:15:28,240 --> 00:15:33,000 Speaker 3: there will be a few big locations now everywhere does it, 267 00:15:33,360 --> 00:15:36,520 Speaker 3: Like every pub on every corner has a Super Bowl 268 00:15:36,640 --> 00:15:39,520 Speaker 3: Day where they'll be serving Dufflow Wings and they'll gets 269 00:15:39,520 --> 00:15:42,760 Speaker 3: of American beer in So that's the first thing. The 270 00:15:42,800 --> 00:15:47,160 Speaker 3: second thing is that in the nineties the major video 271 00:15:47,280 --> 00:15:51,560 Speaker 3: game platform started producing sports games, and one of the 272 00:15:51,560 --> 00:15:55,600 Speaker 3: most popular and enduring of those was an American football 273 00:15:55,640 --> 00:16:00,680 Speaker 3: game called Madden. Now, the importance of Madden was that 274 00:16:00,720 --> 00:16:04,960 Speaker 3: for Australian who otherwise never would have watched American football 275 00:16:05,200 --> 00:16:08,440 Speaker 3: and wouldn't have understood what was going on. By playing 276 00:16:08,440 --> 00:16:11,560 Speaker 3: this game, you learn the rules and you learn who 277 00:16:11,600 --> 00:16:14,320 Speaker 3: all the players are as well. My theory about why 278 00:16:14,360 --> 00:16:19,280 Speaker 3: it's so big now is because there've been this whole generation, 279 00:16:19,480 --> 00:16:23,000 Speaker 3: two generations of people who grow up playing these video 280 00:16:23,080 --> 00:16:27,160 Speaker 3: games and getting some understanding of this sport and getting 281 00:16:27,240 --> 00:16:30,440 Speaker 3: understanding of who the players are and who the teams are, 282 00:16:30,680 --> 00:16:36,040 Speaker 3: which they probably wouldn't have got otherwise. And so now 283 00:16:36,080 --> 00:16:38,360 Speaker 3: you've got all of these people who have at least 284 00:16:38,440 --> 00:16:42,960 Speaker 3: some peripheral interest in American football and who will take 285 00:16:42,960 --> 00:16:45,400 Speaker 3: the opportunity to take a day off if they can 286 00:16:45,800 --> 00:16:47,200 Speaker 3: to watch this huge spectacle. 287 00:16:47,840 --> 00:16:49,960 Speaker 1: This has made me think the only thing I can 288 00:16:50,200 --> 00:16:52,800 Speaker 1: think that it's kind of equivalent to in Australia is 289 00:16:52,840 --> 00:16:56,359 Speaker 1: the Melbourne Cup. But of course the Melbourne Cup's popularity 290 00:16:56,480 --> 00:16:59,040 Speaker 1: is declining, and it feels like, as you say, the 291 00:16:59,080 --> 00:17:02,400 Speaker 1: Super Bowls pop ularities is increasing. Could there ever be 292 00:17:02,440 --> 00:17:04,879 Speaker 1: a world in which the Super Bowl is watched in 293 00:17:04,920 --> 00:17:06,800 Speaker 1: Australia more than the Melbourne Cup. 294 00:17:08,520 --> 00:17:13,000 Speaker 3: Look, as I mentioned before, the super Bowl potentially has 295 00:17:13,040 --> 00:17:16,840 Speaker 3: the same problem as the Melbourne Cup, which is the 296 00:17:16,880 --> 00:17:19,879 Speaker 3: injuries that are involved. One of the reasons why the 297 00:17:19,920 --> 00:17:23,680 Speaker 3: Melbourne Cup is losing popularity is because when horses get injured, 298 00:17:23,720 --> 00:17:27,320 Speaker 3: they die, and people increasingly see this as something that's 299 00:17:27,400 --> 00:17:31,760 Speaker 3: unacceptably cruel. Now the NFL has this big problem on 300 00:17:31,800 --> 00:17:34,879 Speaker 3: the horizon that more and more former players are dying 301 00:17:35,359 --> 00:17:39,200 Speaker 3: with conditions that are related to injuries that they picked up. 302 00:17:39,640 --> 00:17:43,000 Speaker 3: More and more former players, their quality of life is deteriorating, 303 00:17:43,400 --> 00:17:47,360 Speaker 3: and this is becoming very public and people increasingly when 304 00:17:47,359 --> 00:17:49,639 Speaker 3: they watch this sport and they think, wow, that was 305 00:17:49,640 --> 00:17:51,760 Speaker 3: a great tackle, but then they think about, you know, 306 00:17:51,800 --> 00:17:55,159 Speaker 3: what happens in someone's head or spine in the process, 307 00:17:55,600 --> 00:17:58,440 Speaker 3: they get a little bit worried about watching it. Certainly 308 00:17:58,520 --> 00:18:02,080 Speaker 3: it's not at that point yet, but I will point 309 00:18:02,080 --> 00:18:04,280 Speaker 3: out the Super Bowl perhaps has the same long term 310 00:18:04,280 --> 00:18:05,600 Speaker 3: problem as the Melbourne Cup. 311 00:18:06,040 --> 00:18:09,199 Speaker 1: Super interesting. David, thank you so much for joining the 312 00:18:09,280 --> 00:18:11,879 Speaker 1: Daily Ods. We really appreciate your insights. 313 00:18:12,400 --> 00:18:13,000 Speaker 3: My pleasure. 314 00:18:13,440 --> 00:18:15,600 Speaker 2: That's all we have time for today. Thank you for 315 00:18:15,720 --> 00:18:19,000 Speaker 2: joining us on today's episode of The Daily Odds. If 316 00:18:19,000 --> 00:18:21,560 Speaker 2: you come from Daily Drive, welcome. We'd love you to 317 00:18:21,600 --> 00:18:23,639 Speaker 2: stay and you can just hit follow if you're on 318 00:18:23,680 --> 00:18:26,880 Speaker 2: the Spotify app. If you are listening on Apple podcasts, 319 00:18:26,920 --> 00:18:30,440 Speaker 2: you can hit subscribe. Doing those actions helps our media 320 00:18:30,480 --> 00:18:33,159 Speaker 2: company grow every single day. So thank you. Have a 321 00:18:33,160 --> 00:18:33,640 Speaker 2: great day. 322 00:18:37,480 --> 00:18:39,760 Speaker 4: My name is Lily Madden and I'm a proud Arunda 323 00:18:40,000 --> 00:18:44,800 Speaker 4: Bungelung Calcotin woman from Gadigl Country. The Daily odz acknowledges 324 00:18:44,880 --> 00:18:47,040 Speaker 4: that this podcast is recorded on the lands of the 325 00:18:47,080 --> 00:18:50,600 Speaker 4: Gatighl people and pays respect to all Aboriginal and Torres 326 00:18:50,640 --> 00:18:53,560 Speaker 4: Strait Island and nations. We pay our respects to the 327 00:18:53,560 --> 00:18:56,360 Speaker 4: first peoples of these countries, both past and present.