Essay
The Super Bowl Made Scarcity Its Superpower
It’s a matter of giving people what they want in limited doses — even when the teams vying for the league title aren’t on the field.
Kendrick Lamar performed at Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans last February.
Photographer: Christopher Polk/Getty ImagesWhat if you threw a party and only 125 million came?
This year’s Super Bowl pits two low-wattage teams in a rematch from 11 years ago. It won’t come as a shock if this year’s broadcast, on NBC, sees a drop from last year’s record ratings.