Super Bowl XLV: Why More Brits Will Be Watching Than Ever Before

Tonight, all of America will be watching one sporting event, the Superbowl. 

Superbowl fever has caught on like it always does, and fans are as optimistic and excited as ever of the prospect of a memorable match.

But, it isn't only Americans who will be watching the big event this year, with millions of fans from countries across the world focusing on Texas tonight, with Britain producing a sizable amount of this support. 

Many fans will be staying up to watch the big event, as two heavyweights of the NFL battle in what should be a great contest, and I'll explain why this Superbowl in particular is the reason for more British excitement than ever before. 

Sport Has Never Been More Popular in U.K.

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LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 31: A general view before the NFL International Series match between Denver Broncos and San Francisco 49ers at Wembley Stadium on October 31, 2010 in London, England. This is the fourth occasion where a regular season NFL match

In the last few years, the popularity of the NFL has risen beyond all expectations in Britain.

Thanks mainly to increased coverage, more and more people are watching the NFL, and of course the Superbowl, then ever before here across the pond. Networks in the UK allow us British to watch games from every round in the NFL, watching games on Sunday and often staying up to watch the Sunday night and Monday night games, as well as the ability to watch every game from the playoffs, and of course the season finale itself.

Of course the ability to watch games has brought in so many new fans, so much so that the NFL allowed one regular season game to be played in London every year for the past four years, with the more optimistic fans wanting an NFL franchise in London, or even a future Superbowl to be held in London.

Even though Soccer is, and will be for the foreseeable future, the main sport in the UK, there is no reason why American Football (as we call it here), can’t get our attention tonight. 

Packers and Steelers Are Both Popular in Britain

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ARLINGTON, TX - FEBRUARY 06: Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers jerseys are displayed inside the Pro Shop at Cowboys Stadium before Super Bowl XLV on February 6, 2011 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

The Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers are two of the biggest franchises in the NFL, in terms of history and support, and have unsurprising turned out to be two of the more popular teams with British fans.

Never before have the British fans been more interested in the likes of Aaron Rodgers and Ben Roethlisberger, just likes soccer fans in America are likely to have watched the likes Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard earlier during the Chelsea-Liverpool EPL game.

Just likes the fans at the NFL games held at Wembley enjoyed seeing the likes of Tom Brady, Reggie Bush and Eli Manning in the flesh, so they would've enjoyed seeing the big-name players from both the Packers and the Steelers if they played in London. There is no doubt that if this game was played at Wembley, there would be many Terrible towels and Cheese Heads, from fans of both teams.

This game will inevitably be watched by more people because it’s the Packers and Steelers.

Game Has More Glamour Than Ever

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DALLAS, TX - FEBRUARY 5: General view of the downtown skyline with Super Bowl XLV art draped from the Omni Hotel on February 5, 2011 in Dallas, Texas. The Green Bay Packers will play the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV on February 6, 2011 at Cowboys

This may seem like a strange one, considering that every Superbowl is glamorous, more so than any sporting event in Britain.

But there is something about this one in particular, maybe it’s because it is being played in a remarkable arena, even we admit that the Cowboys Stadium is a greater arena to watch sport than our beloved Wembley, and more fans will be at the game than in any Superbowl ever before.

Or maybe it’s because the Black-Eyed Peas are performing during the half-time show, a group that has soared in popularity with youngsters in Britain as well as every else in the world.

But there is something about this glitz and glamour that has struck us more than any other Superbowl in recent memory.

After all, we don’t see such attraction in events such as the FA Cup final, or even the Champions League final in Britain, and for this reason the game will be watched by many in the UK.

Playoffs Produced So Much Entertainment

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CHICAGO, IL - JANUARY 23: Brandon Jackson #32 of the Green Bay Packers runs the ball against the Chicago Bears in the NFC Championship Game at Soldier Field on January 23, 2011 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Because the NFL is more popular than ever here in the UK, and the fact that many of the more popular teams were taking place in the postseason, it was inevitable that the play-offs this year were going to attract more fans in the UK than ever.

And the viewing public weren’t disappointed.

The play-offs produced many surprises this year, with many predicting the likes of the Saints, Patriots, Ravens and Falcons to progress into the latter stages of the season. Instead, many surprises, such as the success of both 6^th seeds, and the elimination of some of the best teams in the regular season, who would’ve predicted the Patriots, Colts, Saints, Falcons, Ravens and Eagles to all fail to reach their Championship games.

As well as this, some of the biggest rivalries, such as the Bears-Packers, Patriots-Jets and Steelers-Ravens match ups worked their way into the postseason. These games always tend to produce an amazing mixture of passion and skill, which produce the more memorable matches.

So surely the most fitting way to end such an amazing postseason will be for an amazing spectacle in Texas, which is probably expected in the US as well as the UK.

Chance For Our Favourite Players To Write Themselves Into History Books

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ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 15: Quarterback Aaron Rodgers #12 and Clay Matthews #52 of the Green Bay Packers talk on the sideline against the Atlanta Falcons during their 2011 NFC divisional playoff game at Georgia Dome on January 15, 2011 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Despite the fact that we British don’t follow the sport anywhere as much as it is followed in the States, we still follow the truly great players, especially those who make their name in the Superbowl.

Even we know about the likes of Montana, Rice, Elway, Aikman and Brady, and how they wrote their names into the history books for their performances in the game where it really does matter.

Everybody wants to see which players do the same tonight, whether it is Rodgers, Roethlisberger, Driver, Ward, Woodson, Polamalu or anyone else, everyone wants to see who makes their name this year.

Just like fans in America want to watch the likes of Torres, Ronaldo, Rooney, Drogba, Tevez, Messi and many more players from the top European teams play in the big games, so do we Brits want to see many of the NFL stars make a name for themselves in the game that the whole world seemingly wants to see. 

Now To The Game Itself...

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NEW ORLEANS - FEBRUARY 07: Exuberant New Orleans Saints fans celebrate the final winning score of Super Bowl XLIV at the Mid-City neighborhood bar Wit's Inn on February 7, 2010 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Skip Bolen/Getty Images)

­­­­Of course it would be unfair to think that only the British will point to this game as one to remember, as it is obviously viewed as a huge event around the world, as well as in America.

Every year, more and more millions of people watch the game as many across the globe getting caught up in Superbowl fever, with more of them coming from the UK than ever before.

So it won’t surprise anyone to see more Brits than ever watching the game, even if it does start at 11:30 pm our time.