From the half-time show to the prize money, what kind of finances are involved in the game?

Superbowl LI (or Superbowl 50 for the non-Romans) is upon us, and everyone is excited. I mean, it’s no Champions League Final, but it’s still a pretty big deal. Come ahead, Americans!

But, my main interest in the game is the money that’s behind it. When you think of all the fanfare and the build-up, a pretty penny must be invested. And when you think about the fact that the actual game is only 60 minutes of actual gameplay, it’s quite mind blowing!

So, there were a few questions we wanted to ask. Here they are.

How much does the Superbowl half-time show cost?

This year, the extremely talented and extremely crazy Lady Gaga will be providing the half-time entertainment. Over the years we’ve also had such gems as Bruno Mars, Springsteen, Michael Jackson, U2, Prince and even Janet Jackson’s nipple. All great entertainers, who must come at a fair price themselves. Turns out they get paid jack!

"Eyes up here, JT!"

Apparently, the performers themselves don’t gain a fee for their services. Instead, they gain exposure from an audience of just under 115 million. That’s some good exposure. Maybe that’s what Janet was thinking when she let one of the gals slip out in 2004?

Though, all of the costs go towards expenses and production. And this can run anywhere between $5 million and $10 million. And this cost is generally covered by an eager sponsor. It has been, and looks likely to continue to be Pepsi footing this bill. Now, you might think that this is an awful lot for a 30-minute performance. But, like I said before, the audience is HUGE, so, advertorial prices are extortionate. With Pepsi sponsoring the show, they’re actually getting themselves a snip, even at $10 million.

How much does it cost to run an ad during the Superbowl?

The cost of and ad is always pricey on mainstream American television, but, when it comes to the Superbowl, it gets a little out of hand in my opinion.

Throughout this section, all mention ads will be 30 seconds long. We’re working in half minutes here, people. That’s important to remember when you see these prices.

Way back when, Superbowl I in 1967, a 30-second ad would set you back $42,000. Now that’s a lot of money. Cue inflation of both money and popularity. A 30-second spot during the Superbowl in 2017 will cost you a whopping $5 million! That’s 5 with six 0s after it. Dollars.

So, to go back to my point about Pepsi grabbing themselves a bargain with the $10 million half-time show, when you look at it this way, it really is bargain of the century. Think of the 30-minute show as sixty 30 second spots – that’s $300,000,000! Pepsi are arguably saving themselves $290,000,000 by sponsoring the half-time show.

Well played, Pepsi. Well played.

No wonder he's smiling.

How much are the tickets to the Superbowl?

Now, with any sporting event, you’ll find that tickets are tiered, and the Superbowl is no different. But, the difference is that you’ll probably have to pay a lot more to see The Patriots play The Falcons than you would to see Nottingham Forest play Aston Villa at The City Ground.

Tickets, at face value, start around the $850 mark, and work their way up, depending on where you’re sitting, to around $1,800.

But it’s unlikely that the people that pay between $850 and $1,800 will be going to the game. Traditionally, they all get sold on. Well, not all of them, but a lot of them! And this causes the actual price per ticket to increase quite drastically. On the secondary market, the tickets cost anywhere between $2,500 and $3,000. Ouch!

Furthermore, Super Bowl XLIX averaged around $4,314 for whatever reason! Must be that Tom Brady mark-up.

As a result, I will not be going to Superbowl this year. Mainly because I’d rather watch Nottingham Forest play Aston Villa.

How much do the players get paid?

Now we’re getting into the real cost of the Superbowl! They players. Because, without them, there wouldn’t be a Superbowl. Well, there probably still would be, just with different players. But, I digress.

Arguably the highest paid athletes in the world if you take Carlos Tevez out of the equation, these NFL guys take home a tidy sum each week.

We could give you a full graph of the players’ salaries, but, who has time for that? So, we’ve put together a graphic showing which positons make the most money. It’s probably not who you thought!

Though, it’s fair to say that the offensive and defensive lines are the highest-earning positions because there are more of them.

Quarterback is where the real money is!

Looking at the Patriots’ and The Falcons’ quarterbacks – Tom Brady and Matt Ryan – salaries, you can see just how an attractive a position it is.

In 2016 Brady earned a cool $9,000,000 – roughly $174,000 a week. And Marr Ryan, he took home a whopping $15,750,000! That’s over $300,000 per week.

No wonder everyone wants to be a quarterback. Aside from Carlos Tevez.

He's got a bigger smile than Pepsi.

How much do players get for winning The Superbowl?

The important question to many – how much is winning it worth to the players?

It’s a lot. Not surprisingly.

Just in case their multi-million dollar salaries aren’t enough, players in the Superbowl are guaranteed to take home a bonus of $49,000. And that’s only if you lose. The players on the winning side get double that, earning $97,000 for the win.

Not bad considering they’re only on the field for 60 minutes, with an average actual gameplay time of 13 minutes.

If we take that time, players will earn $60 per second if you’re a loser, and over $120 per second for the winners.

I should really take up American Football.