This year’s Super Bowl attracted arguably more interest than ever before, with the US television audience expected to eclipse the record 115 million for Kansas City’s win over the Eagles last year.
This was the first Super Bowl to be held in the entertainment capital of the world, Prince Harry made a surprise appearance at the end-of-season awards ceremony in Vegas on Thursday and then there’s Taylor Swift.
The music superstar’s relationship with Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce has brought a wealth of new fans to the Chiefs and the NFL in general, and there have even been conspiracy theories about the team’s play-off run being rigged to maintain that new interest and help get US President Joe Biden re-elected.
This week NFL commissioner Roger Goodell called those claims “nonsense”, while many media outlets speculated whether she would be able to attend the Super Bowl as she was performing in Tokyo on Saturday.
She made it, joining dozens of stars in the crowd at Allegiant Stadium, although it seemed she and Kelce would be disappointed at half-time. He took just one catch for one yard in the first half and showed his frustration by bumping into coach Reid and shouting in the 65-year-old’s face.
But Kelce, 34, ended the game with 93 receiving yards, with Mahomes passing for 333 yards and two touchdowns.
Mahomes also rushed for 66 yards, including a scramble on fourth down in overtime when failure to make a first down would have handed victory to the 49ers.
That ensured Mahomes was named the Super Bowl’s Most Valuable Player for a third time and he is the first to win the award back-to-back since Terry Bradshaw (1979 and 1980).
More to follow.