Nothing grabs attention in the US quite like the NFL. In 2023, 93 of the top 100 most-watched US TV broadcasts were NFL games, and viewership records continue to be set.

Part of the NFL’s enduring appeal is the competition’s inherent jeopardy. With Sunday’s victory, the Kansas City Chiefs were the first team for two decades to win back-to-back Super Bowls. Over the past 15 years, the NFL has produced the most diverse range of champions among major American leagues, which are renowned for promoting competitive balance through salary caps and draft systems.

Jeopardy is fundamentally enhanced by the NFL’s competition format. A short regular season, small divisions, and single-elimination playoffs heighten the stakes of each game and lead to unpredictable outcomes. 

Fan excitement thrives off the jeopardy that these mechanisms deliver, demonstrating to rights holders that sometimes less is more, as Australia’s Big Bash League has recently realised.