Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

I've been collecting Super Bowl programs ever since SB I.

I've noticed a definite trend in increasing page counts over the years. I don't know the maximun page count, but I have #45 handy (PITT v GB @ Arlington, TX) and it weighs in at 264 pages. I just got my copy of #55 (KC v TB @ TB) and it came in at a relatively paltry 160 pages.

The SB program, the NFL's premier event, has shrunk by 100 pages in ten years.

Not sure what is causing this. Lack of collectors? Higher printing and mailing costs? Replacement of print media by the Internet and phone apps? Lack of demand for printed matter in general?

Whatever it is, it's sad to see. Has anyone else noticed this? Somehow collecting a series of Super Bowl e-programs doesn't carry quite the same cachet.

Ad sales drives the page count of most print media (except books). Don't know what the ad/edit ratio is for the SB programs, but 60% ads seems about right. So if the ratio is about the same but the page count is down, it probably means advertisers have decided their money is better spent on other media (broadcast, internet, etc.).

I think it probably just goes along with everything else in the world right now in that the demand for physical media is decreasing with each passing year. Sports Illustrated used to come out once a week and each issue would be really thick with content. Now it only comes out once a month and its content is about as thin as the newspapers we get these days.

lastcat3 wrote:I think it probably just goes along with everything else in the world right now in that the demand for physical media is decreasing with each passing year. Sports Illustrated used to come out once a week and each issue would be really thick with content. Now it only comes out once a month and its content is about as thin as the newspapers we get these days.

So sad but true. I especially miss those doorstop-size Sunday papers. Had two of 'em in Detroit, the News and Free Press, and it would take me 3-4 hours to devour both papers. Talk about ink-stained hands.

Got mine today. Yeah, see what you mean!

JohnR wrote:Got mine today. Yeah, see what you mean!

Still bigger than your profile photo.