The Super Bowl wouldn’t be super without Apple

Computers and sports: two things that should never be enjoyed together, if we accept the high school stereotypes of jocks versus nerds. Today we live in a post-Moneyball world where nerds with computers have quantified every aspect of sports performance. But in 1984, who would have imagined that the big winner of the Super Bowl would be… Apple Computer?

But it’s true: Apple and the Super Bowl have been hitting milestones for decades. It’s always been a love story between nerds and athletes, except these days it’s more about musicians than athletes. Let’s look at Apple’s long history with the Super Bowl.

The commercial era

Of course, we start with the most famous commercial in Super Bowl history: Apple’s “1984” commercial. It aired during Super Bowl XVIII, in which the Los Angeles Raiders defeated the Washington Redskins 38–9. (This game started a streak of five consecutive Super Bowl blowouts. It was not a very good Super Bowl era.)

But Apple’s commercial, directed by Ridley Scott, got everyone talking and extended beyond gaming, with news reports discussing its surprising impact. I can’t say for sure, but it seems that the cultural impact of the “1984” commercial helped create the whole concept of Super Bowl commercial advertising, high-profile, high-priced productions designed to get people talking outside of the game itself.

These kinds of advertising campaigns are ubiquitous these days. In the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl, ads begin to appear that are just trailers for upcoming Super Bowl ad campaigns. In the months that follow, those Super Bowl ads are often cut into smaller pieces and recycled to help keep the economy going.

Apple’s “1984” commercial wasn’t like that. Although it was designed to tease the introduction of the original Macintosh – and what a modern concept it is, an ad that teases the future release of an unannounced product – it was meant to stand alone. Scott’s ad, showing gray faces in rows listening to a Big Brother speech while a woman in colorful clothing runs in slow motion, chased by booted thugs, played on (and amplified!) Apple’s reputation as a different company.

It appears Apple’s board of directors and CEO John Sculley hated the ad. Steve Jobs loved it, because it was exactly his vibe: Apple as an iconoclastic rebel, changing the world with the release of a very different type of computer, the Mac.

Of course, the following year, Apple blew it.

As the San Francisco 49ers beat the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl XIX, Apple aired the confusing “Lemmings” commercial, directed by Ridley Scott’s brother Tony. It’s got the same jarring soundtrack, the same dark production design… it’s very clear that the brief was “let’s remake this advert from 1984”. The commercial features a group of blindfolded people, in professional attire, marching in a sort of suicidal conga line until they plunge one by one over a cliff, all the while whistling an off-key “High-Ho” from “Snow White.”

The “Lemmings” voiceover, designed to mirror the voiceover from the end of “1984,” instead introduces something called The Macintosh Office. Don’t worry if you’ve never heard of Macintosh Office, because it never really shipped. Besides, it was just a professional package consisting of Macs, a file server (which never materialized), and a LaserWriter.

Stop for a moment and marvel at how corporations misunderstood the power of “1984,” which showed a dystopia waiting to be disrupted by a revolutionary new product. They took the trappings of that ad and instead designed it around a complex set of professional equipment and portrayed potential buyers as lemmings walking mindlessly over a cliff. A professional equipment pack! For what! What a disaster!

The Apple Music era

Please pause as we move from the Joe Montana era to the Patrick Mahomes era. (Yes, I’m skipping the “HAL” commercial that aired during Super Bowl XXXIII in 1999.) Years later, Apple re-engaged in the great American game, as the title sponsor of the Super Bowl halftime show beginning with Super Bowl LVII in 2023. (For the record, it was a close 38–35 victory for Kansas City against the Philadelphia Eagles.)

Apple replaced former title sponsor Pepsi by using the halftime entertainment showcase to link A-list artists to its own music streaming service. The headliner of the first half was Rihanna, and she won two Emmy Awards.

Since then, the Apple Music Halftime Show has only gone from strength to strength. In 2024, Usher headlined (and Kansas City beat the 49ers, 25-22 in overtime). In 2025, it was Kendrick Lamar (and the Eagles got their revenge by beating Kansas City by 18 points).

Which brings us to this year. Apple’s special halftime guest is Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny, who will become the first Spanish-speaking artist to headline a Super Bowl halftime show.

As you might expect, Apple likes its brand to play a major role in such a large-scale event, and Apple executives are frequently spotted at the game. Last year, CEO Tim Cook and Apple Music chief Eddy Cue spent time in the French Quarter before the game at Caesar’s Superdome in New Orleans, and two years ago, they were in Las Vegas to hang out with, among others, Bad Bunny! The plot thickens.[hungoutintheFrenchQuarteraheadofthegameattheCaesar’sSuperdomeinNewOrleansandtwoyearsagotheywereinLasVegashangingoutwithamongotherpeopleBadBunny!Theplotthickens[hungoutintheFrenchQuarteraheadofthegameattheCaesar’sSuperdomeinNewOrleansandtwoyearsagotheywereinLasVegashangingoutwithamongotherpeopleBadBunny!Theplotthickens

This year, Apple will undoubtedly be all over the event, as the Super Bowl will be held at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, only about six miles from Apple Park as the crow flies. The real question is: Will there be a fancy party at Apple Park for the NFL and music crowd? I wouldn’t go beyond Eddy Cue.