I used to assume the Super Bowl was a 1970s invention — that faulty mental shortcut hid how quickly pro football changed in the 1960s. If you’ve typed “when was the first super bowl” into search, you want more than a date: you want the who, where, why and why it still matters. Below I answer that question directly and then unpack the game’s immediate context, broadcast quirks, and long-term legacy.
Short answer: when was the first Super Bowl?
The first game commonly called the Super Bowl was played on January 15, 1967. It matched the NFL champion Green Bay Packers against the AFL champion Kansas City Chiefs at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The Packers won 35–10.
What the event actually was and why naming is confusing
Historically the match was billed as the AFL-NFL World Championship Game; the name “Super Bowl” caught on in media and public use only later. The game functioned as a postseason championship between two rival leagues that were moving toward merger. That context is important if you care about why the first game happened at all.
Quick facts box
- Date: January 15, 1967
- Location: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
- Teams: Green Bay Packers (NFL) vs Kansas City Chiefs (AFL)
- Final score: Packers 35, Chiefs 10
- Attendance: 61,946
- Television: Broadcast simultaneously by NBC and CBS
How the matchup came to be
In my practice covering football history, the single clearest driver for the first Super Bowl was league rivalry that became commercially expensive and strategically risky for both sides. The AFL was younger but growing; the NFL was established and dominant. A championship between the two was both a sports contest and a business truce — a way to settle which league had superior teams while smoothing the path to merger.
Negotiations that began mid-1960s led to an agreement for a championship game after each season’s league winners were determined. The January 1967 matchup was the inaugural agreement in play.
Broadcast and cultural context: why the first game mattered beyond the field
The first game was unusual in broadcast terms: both NBC and CBS carried the game simultaneously, one covering the AFL perspective and the other the NFL. That dual-network arrangement underscored that television rights and audience reach were central to pro football’s commercial model — a theme that grew louder in the decades that followed.
Practically speaking, the game exposed mainstream audiences to AFL-style teams and players, accelerating national interest and setting the template for how the sport staged its marquee spectacle.
Why this question keeps coming up now
People search “when was the first super bowl” for several practical reasons. Anniversaries and documentaries push the topic into public attention; sports trivia and historical comparisons — for example, studying how rules, broadcast rights and halftime shows evolved — also drive curiosity. Emotionally, it’s about nostalgia and understanding the origin story of one of America’s biggest cultural events.
Deep dive: the game itself — standouts and turning points
Green Bay, coached by Vince Lombardi, controlled the game through efficient offense and disciplined defense. Bart Starr, Green Bay’s quarterback, delivered a steady performance that earned him MVP honors. Kansas City made key plays but couldn’t sustain drives long enough to threaten the outcome.
For students of the sport, the first game shows how coaching, roster depth and professional stability often trump flash — at least in championship settings.
Quick guide: where to verify the facts and watch highlights
If you want primary-level verification: read the historical summary on Wikipedia and consult the NFL’s official history pages for archival material and contemporary commentary. For box scores and play-by-play details, Pro-Football-Reference provides game-by-game statistics and rosters.
External sources cited in this article:
- Super Bowl I — Wikipedia
- NFL history: Super Bowl I overview
- Pro-Football-Reference boxscore and stats
What I’ve seen across decades of following major sports events
First, marquee matchups amplify narratives: rivalry, underdog stories, and league legitimacy all gain traction from a single high-profile interleague game. Second, television changes the economics: the dual-network broadcast of the first Super Bowl foreshadowed massive future TV deals. Third, what starts as a pragmatic solution (decide which league is stronger) becomes ritualized — the Super Bowl is now cultural shorthand for a national event.
Practical uses for this knowledge
If you’re preparing trivia, writing a historical piece, or creating a broadcast segment, use the date, location, teams and score as core facts. Then layer in context: the AFL-NFL rivalry, the broadcast arrangement, and the attendance number. That combination gives a reader or viewer both the immediate answer to “when was the first super bowl” and the narrative that makes the date meaningful.
How to present this in conversation or content
- Start with the direct answer: January 15, 1967.
- Add the matchup and score for credibility.
- Give one sentence of context about AFL vs NFL rivalry.
- Mention one broadcast or legacy fact to show depth (for example, dual-network broadcast).
How to know you’re getting accurate information
Check at least two independent sources: a reputable encyclopedia entry (Wikipedia is fine for baseline facts) and an official league or archival source. For box scores and player stats use established statistical repositories like Pro-Football-Reference. If sources agree on date, teams and score, you’ve likely got the core facts right.
What to do if sources disagree
Disagreement usually stems from terminology (was it called “Super Bowl” then?) or from secondary details like attendance. In those cases, favor primary sources: contemporary newspaper accounts, NFL archival pages, or official box scores. Note differences transparently when writing — readers appreciate that honesty.
Long-term prevention: avoid repeating common mistakes
People commonly conflate the AFL-NFL championship with the NFL championship history. When you cite the first Super Bowl, be precise: name the game, date, location and note it was an interleague championship preceding full merger. That prevents conceptual drift in historical retellings.
Bottom line
When asked “when was the first super bowl,” the concise factual answer is January 15, 1967, Green Bay Packers 35, Kansas City Chiefs 10, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The fuller story shows how a single game anchored a commercial and cultural shift that made professional football America’s dominant televised sport.
If you want sources, I linked core primary references above. If you need a short blurb or social post sized summary for sharing, say: “The first Super Bowl took place Jan 15, 1967 — Packers 35, Chiefs 10 — at the LA Coliseum. It was an AFL‑NFL championship that helped shape modern pro football.”
Frequently Asked Questions
The first game commonly called the Super Bowl was played on January 15, 1967 between the Green Bay Packers and the Kansas City Chiefs; the Packers won 35–10.
Not officially; the event was billed as the AFL-NFL World Championship Game. The nickname ‘Super Bowl’ became dominant in public and media usage afterward.
Trusted sources include the NFL’s official history pages and Pro-Football-Reference for box scores and play-by-play. The Wikipedia entry for Super Bowl I also summarizes primary facts.