Super Bowl I was the birth of a sports dynasty and a TV experiment, all rolled into one. Here are some fun and fascinating facts about Super Bowl I, including the wild detail about it being broadcast on two networks:
- The first game, played on January 15, 1967, was officially titled the “AFL-NFL World Championship Game.”
- The term “Super Bowl” was used informally at the time, but it didn’t become official until Super Bowl III.
- Because CBS had the rights to the NFL and NBC had the rights to the AFL, both networks were allowed to broadcast the game simultaneously — a one-time-only situation.
- It caused chaos at the L.A. Coliseum, as CBS and NBC crews argued over camera placements and equipment space.
- Each had its own announcers and production — CBS with Ray Scott and NBC with Curt Gowdy.
- NBC accidentally taped over their footage, and CBS didn’t preserve theirs either.
- Only fragments survive today — a full copy was cobbled together decades later using fan recordings and international archives.
- The average ticket price was about $12, and thousands of seats went unsold. The L.A. Coliseum had over 94,000 seats, but only about 61,000 fans showed up.
- It’s the only Super Bowl in history that didn’t sell out.
- The Green Bay Packers (NFL) beat the Kansas City Chiefs (AFL) 35–10.
- Vince Lombardi’s squad was dominant, showing the strength of the NFL — but the AFL would rise in the coming years.
- The win solidified the Packers’ place in history — and eventually gave the trophy its name: the Lombardi Trophy.
