People just aren’t partying the way they used to. Even as far back as 2017, we were talking about how social media was cutting into our actual face-to-face time with other people. That trend kicked into high gear after the COVID-19 pandemic, and now something like half of Gen-Zers surveyed say they prefer staying in to going out.
You should still by all means host a Super Bowl party this year. Sports is one of the few things we have left that can bring people together in good spirits. No matter what generation you’re from, or what part of North America you live in, they’re talking about the NFL around the water cooler – or maybe on Slack.
That includes Canada, of course. We have our own football league, but the Grey Cup doesn’t hold a candle to Super Bowl Sunday. The most-watched television broadcast in 2023 in the Great White North was Super Bowl LVII between Kansas City and Philadelphia, with 8.7 million viewers across CTV, TSN and RDS. The 110th Grey Cup between Winnipeg and Montreal (on TSN and RDS) was No. 10 at 3.59 million.
So let’s get a few of those 8.7 million people together and throw a Super Bowl party. It’s the ultimate way to liven up your Super Bowl betting experience, so here’s our official Bodog Sportsbook guide for doing it right in the post-pandemic age.
Food
We’re at the point in human civilization where you can get just about anything you want delivered to your door – provided you have the money. Or you can put in the time and effort to make the food yourself. You’ll probably know already if you’re a good enough cook to pull this off; it will depend in part on how stocked your kitchen is, and how many people you plan on having over. Pro tip: Always make more food than you think you’ll need.
The food itself should naturally be stuff that most people will enjoy, with an emphasis on classics like Super Bowl nachos. You can even purchase pre-built packages with all the chips and dips you’ll possibly need, presented in a giant cardboard stadium that you can use as the centrepiece of your party table – more on that in a moment.
You also need to make sure you have enough food that’s suitable for each individual, so if you’re not already familiar with everyone’s dietary habits, don’t be afraid to ask. People will appreciate it, as long as they get to down delicious food while they bet on the Super Bowl. But whatever you serve, keep hygiene front and centre in your mind. This includes during the party; unless you have hired help, you’re the cleaner as well as the host. If you’ve got time to lean, you’ve got time to clean.
Drinks
Here’s another thing Gen-Z doesn’t do as much: Drink alcohol. Recent studies suggest that moderate drinking might not deliver the health benefits we thought it did. It’s too early to say for certain that any amount of alcohol is bad for you, but that hasn’t stopped many of us from enjoying social drinking.
If you’re going to throw a Super Bowl party, people are going to expect beer – unless your entire cohort doesn’t drink. So get them the good stuff, and get the good non-alcoholic beers as well. They do exist.
As with the food, ask your guests ahead of time what they want/need for beverages if you’re not 100% certain. But unlike the food, you don’t need to get more booze than you think you’ll need. Host responsibly and always make space for people to stay over if needed.
Decorations
This really doesn’t have to be too elaborate. People are there to watch the Big Game, so as long as you focus on that and keep the rest of your home clean and tidy, that’s the main thing. But feel free to theme it up a bit; for example, you can do the stadium chip-dip diorama we mentioned above, either purchased ahead of time or lovingly hand-crafted by yourself.
By the way, this all goes out the window if your team makes it to the Super Bowl. Then you have to invite all your friends over who cheer for the same team – and if you have any, maybe the friends who cheer for the other team, as long as everyone’s able to keep it good-natured. And you definitely have to bring out all your team-branded merchandise as decorations: jerseys, pennants, autographed footballs, the whole lot. Go buy some if you have to.
Games
There’s nothing more cringe-worthy at a party – okay, maybe one or two things – than having the host break out some kindergarten-level game for everyone to play. Fortunately, Super Bowl parties come with their own games built-in. There’s a good chance your guests have several dozen or even hundreds of Super Bowl bets they want to keep track of. It’s pretty standard these days to print off checklists ahead of time with all the Super Bowl props and other wagers, listed in order from pre-game (National Anthem, Coin Flip) to post-game (Gatorade Shower, Super Bowl MVP).
Again, if you want to theme it up a bit, Super Bowl Squares is the one game you can break out safely – because it’s one more thing people can bet on. Our Super Bowl lines at Bodog typically include some version of the Squares game, where you pick the last digit of the final score for each team. You can also prepare your own version ahead of time and have your guests make their selections as they arrive. Otherwise, don’t take too much focus away from the Big Game itself.
Size of Screen
While it is possible to have a screen that’s too big for the room you’re in, bigger is better. Picture quality is important, too. The Super Bowl is one of the best times of year for sales, so get something nice and big that your guests will want to look at. Then get those chips, dips and beverages ready, hit up the Super Bowl betting odds at Bodog Sportsbook, and enjoy the party.