How Much Money Do the Winners of the Super Bowl Get?
After numerous attempts to form a functional football league had failed, owners of eight franchises formed the American Professional Football Association in 1920, which they later renamed the National Football League in 1922.
Among the founding teams, only the Chicago Cardinals (currently called Arizona Cardinals) and Green Bay Packers are the remaining in the NFL. The final playoffs of the NFL competitions were referred to as the NFL Championship Game until 1966 when they were renamed the Super Bowl.
According to USA Today, the term Super Bowl was coined by the owner of the Kansas City Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt whose daughter had a toy that she had named Super Ball. When the league was looking for a more attractive name, he fronted the name, and it was adopted. In this article, we shall be looking at the money paid to Super Bowl winners.
When is the Super Bowl Played?
The game has gained so much popularity in the U.S. that there have been proposals by its fans that the day when it is being played should be treated as a public holiday! From 2004 to 2021, the Super Bowl used to be played on the first Sunday of February, but there were changes to the schedule, which moved the game to every second Sunday of February. Viewers can choose early booking or watch the game on CBS, NBC or Fox.
Adverts run that the games kick off at 6:30 PM EST, but due to the colorful opening celebrations, the game starts approximately 20 minutes later. According to SportsNaut, the last Super Bowl LVII played at the State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona, was attended by 78,6000 fans.
Where Does the NFL Get the Money to Pay the Super Bowl Winners?
Apart from the fan attendance fee of between $9,000 to $9,200, the NFL makes a good deal of selling game broadcast rights. According to CNBC News, the league made $27 billion from selling broadcast rights to media houses between 2013 and 2022. The outlet reported that NBC alone pays around $3 billion annually to air the game.
Though secretive contract clauses protect the financial dealings, Sportivo reported that there is more than $132 billion held by the clubs and their owners which can be directly attributed to the NFL. In 2022, Apple Music announced that it would sponsor the Super Bowl halftime show, and guess who performed!
A 15-minute music thriller was laid out by Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent, and Eminem. For a game to attract such performers, you must be sure that there is a good amount of money exchanging hands.
The NFL’S Collective Bargaining Agreement and Its Role in Super Bowl Payments
The NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement it is the anchor which holds the amount of money that will be paid to winners in a Super Bowl game. The current NFL CBA came into effect on March 15, 2020. The new CBA expanded the plays from 12 to 14 teams from the 2021 season and included a 17th regular season game to the NFL schedule.
The new CBA is expected to run through the current season up to 2030. Now that we have a basic understanding of what the NFL and the Super Bowl are, the sources of its funds, and the rules that govern it, let us look at the actual payments.
How Much Money is Paid to the Super Bowl Winner?
First, it is good you note that the amounts quoted here are only those for this game alone. Any other payments are contained in lucrative and secretive contracts between the league and clubs and clubs with players. The NFL CBA stipulates that the money paid to each winning team player should keep increasing every season.
In 2022 each player of the winning team got $150,000, which was a $20,000 increase from the awards given in 2020. The CBA also stipulates that the losing team members get $75,000 each. The cash price was $10,000 more than the $65,000 paid to players of the losing team in 2020. However, it is good to note that not all players are paid these bonuses. Players in both teams are entitled to full and half bonuses, as discussed below.
Grounds for Full Bonus for Super Bowl Players
For a player to qualify for a full bonus, they must meet one of the following conditions.
- They must have been on their team’s active or active lists during the Super Bowl and appeared on those lists for not less than three previous games.
- They may not have been on the above list but were on their team’s active or inactive list for at least eight previous games.
- Veteran players who sustained injuries are missing from the above list but are under contract when the Super Bowl is being played.
These conditions are one of the greatest wins for players in the new CBA.
Grounds for Getting Half Bonus in the Super Bowl
Not all players get the full bonus. Some will get a half bonus when they meet one of the following conditions.
- They are on their team’s active or inactive lists when the Super Bowl is being played, but they have been on the roster for less than three previous games.
- They are not on their team’s innovative or active lists during the Super Bowl games and have been on the roster for between 3 to 7 previous games.
- First-year players injured in the regular season are missing from their inactive or active lists, but their contracts are still running during the Super Bowl games.
The Super Bowl Rings for the Super Bowl Winners
The concept of awarding players rings goes back to 1922 when Major League Baseball awarded the New York Giants using rings for winning the 1922 World Series against the Yankees. After that, the idea of using rings spread to other games. The rings were adopted by the American Football League and later adopted for the Super Bowl. There are four types of Super Bowl Rings.
A Grade Rings
These are the most prestigious rings preserved for players, team owners, essential stalls, and coaches; there are only 150 in each Super Bowl. They are customized with the coach and player names or numbers to tell their contribution in a given season.
B and C Grade Rings
The rings have fewer stones and may not be made from the same material as Grade rings. They have a lower value than the A rings and are mainly reserved for fans during charity games. After winning the XVII Super Bowl, the first support staff to win the B and C rings were for the Redskins.
Replicas and Fakes
They have the least value compared to the above rings. Replicas and Fakes are not of the same standards as the other rings. They are difficult to find but easy to identify for ring experts.
Runners-Up Rings
The Runners-Up Rings are given to the losing team, and it is rare to see someone wearing them. The Super Bowl Rings are made by Jostens Jewelers, who have made 34 out of 52 Super Bowls. The NFL contributes $5,000 to $7,000 to making the Super Bowl rings, and the winning team incurs the other costs. According to AS, the final value of the Super Bowl Ring ranges from $30,000 to $50,000.
Other Monetary Benefits for Super Bowl Players
Each NFL player is entitled to 15 tickets for the Super Bowl. However, they must pay $1,800 for each ticket even when they have two week-old kids. The babies can fly for free during the season games, but for the Super Bowl, they have to pay.
Each player on their team’s roster gets two complimentary tickets. They also retain the right to purchase the other 13 tickets at the rate of other players. According to the NFL CBA, players who play for only three Super Bowls are entitled to pension despite their age.
Number of Teams That Have Won the Super Bowl
Including all the other teams that have moved to different cities, 20 franchises have already won the Super Bowl. The league is made up of 32 teams, which means only 12 of them have not won it. The NFL top team winners of the Super Bowls are the following:
- New England & Pittsburgh Steelers – each six times.
- Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 47ers – each 5 times.
- Green Bay Packers and New York Giants – each 4 times.
- Denver Broncos, Washington Football Team, and L.A./Oakland Raiders – each three wins
- Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, Baltimore Ravens, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers – each 2 wins.
Top Players who Have Won the Highest Number of Super Bowls
Winning the Super Bowl is a preserve of the most dedicated players. So many players have won the Super Bowl, but we will only look at a few.
- Tom Brady- He is undoubtedly the most successful Quarterback, who has won 7 titles: six with the New England Patriots and one with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
- Charles Haley – The most successful left Back won 5: two with the San Francisco 49ers and three with the Dallas Cowboys.
- There are 34 players to have won 4 Super Bowls, with the highest number of appearances going to Adam Vinatieri, Mike Webster, Bill Romanowski, Joe Montana, and Ted Hendricks.
Why Do Players Strain So Much to Win the Super Bowl?
Forget about the $150,000 players win during the finals; players would do anything to appear in the Super Bowl. But would they? There comes a lot of prestige that a player gains with appearing in the NFL players. This is the ‘UEFA Champions League’ of the United States. It is the epitome of any player who has dreamed of playing American Football. Players who have landed in the Super Bowl are assured of great contract negotiation abilities and endorsements from other products.
For example, according to Sports Casting, Tom Brady got deals with Hertz, Molecule Mattress, FTX, Subway, and Under Amour. Due to such benefits, players would go to extreme lengths to play and win the Super Bowls. Fox Sports highlighted some scenarios where players played under extraordinary circumstances. For example, teammates play with partially torn ligaments and a broken bones.
Why Should You Attend the Super Bowl?
Do not be misguided about why you should attend. There are so many benefits;
It is the show where the ‘who-is-who’ in all walks of life show up
First, you get to meet and take a photo with one of your admired celebrities. Imagine having the rare opportunity of taking a selfie with celebrities in the background! Such a photo you would keep for life.
You get a chance to market your designer wear
If you have been stuck with how to move your newly designed pack bags, jackets, shoes, shirts, or even caps, wear them during a super Bowl game. You never know who will be seated next to you.
Enjoy the Food
When the NFL announces the venue of the next Super Bowl, Chefs in the U.S. start coming up with crazy ideas on how to outdo each other and make the best meals. Take the chance and enjoy.
The entertainment
Here are the music stars who outshine each other. Trevor Noah just took almost 15 minutes to talk about Rihanna performing in the 2023 Super Bowl-this shows you how big the event will be.
In Conclusion
The Super Bowl is one of the most paying events you should never miss. You can either attend or watch it on Tv. The event is filled with pop and color. Indeed, as they say, it is a world holiday when it is Super Bowl Day.
You can also read:
- The 20 Most Watched Super Bowls in History
- How Much Is a Super Bowl Ring Worth?
- The 10 Worst Super Bowls of All-Time According to Ratings
