News Story

T he t

elevision audience that tunes in for the Super Bowl next Sunday will be much different from the typical audience for a televised football game, according to Dr. Troy Comeau. Comeau, who teaches sports broadcasting and other courses in Pittsburg State University's Department of Communication, said he has been examining the unique characteristics of the Super Bowl audience with his students in advance of the annual extravaganza.

"The Super Bowl is more of a cultural event that brings friends and family together," Comeau said.

That differs from a typical television football audience during the regular season, Comeau said, which is more likely to be composed of viewers with stronger emotional attachments to individual teams.

"The Super Bowl is much more of a social gathering," Comeau said. "Some people will watch who haven't watched a football game all year."

Comeau said the Super Bowl's unique character is reflected in everything from advertising to the way the game is presented by the network.