Super Bowl I 1967: The First Super Bowl Ever Played

Super Bowl I — officially called the AFL-NFL World Championship Game — was played on January 15, 1967 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The Green Bay Packers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 35–10 in a game that, at the time, no one imagined would grow into the most-watched sporting event in American history.

Background: The AFL-NFL Merger

The Super Bowl was created as part of the AFL-NFL merger agreement signed in 1966. The two rival leagues agreed to merge and play an annual championship game between their respective champions. At the time, the NFL was considered the more prestigious league, and the AFL was regarded by many NFL adherents as a lesser circuit. The championship game was designed, in part, to determine which league was truly superior.

The Game

The Packers, led by quarterback Bart Starr and head coach Vince Lombardi, were the NFL champions. The Chiefs, led by quarterback Len Dawson and head coach Hank Stram, were the AFL champions. Green Bay dominated the second half after trailing by only a touchdown at halftime. Bart Starr threw for 250 yards and 2 touchdowns and was named MVP.

Attendance and Viewership

Super Bowl I drew 61,946 fans to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum — a capacity of over 93,000 — meaning approximately 33,000 seats went unsold. Television viewership was approximately 26 million across two networks (CBS and NBC). The game was broadcast simultaneously on both networks, each having separate broadcast rights for their respective leagues.

Historical Significance

Super Bowl I established the template for what would become the world's most-watched annual sporting event. Bart Starr's MVP and Vince Lombardi's second championship victory with Green Bay anchored the game's historical record. For the full history of every Super Bowl from I to LIX, see our Super Bowl history page. For all results, see our Super Bowl results page.