NEW YORK (AP) — Americans weary of a seemingly endless barrage of political news may be looking for a respite as they settle in to watch the Kansas City Chiefs face off against the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl on Sunday.
They won’t get it, although the real-world interruption should at least be brief.
For what may be the first time, national politics will invade the one of the biggest TV events of the year. Presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg and President Donald Trump have shelled out millions to broadcast campaign ads during the Big Game, when nearly 100 million viewers are expected to tune into Fox.
The political intrusion may have been inevitable. Not only is the U.S. in the middle of a presidential impeachment trial, Super Bowl Sunday falls directly before the Iowa caucuses on Monday and the State of the Union address by President Trump on Tuesday.
In good news for the weary, however, those ads will likely be the exception of the night. Most brands are taking extra care to steer clear of politics, instead aligning themselves with celebrities, hit songs, and nostalgia to guarantee the widest appeal possible while avoiding potentially divisive territory.