How big was the big game?

The NFL scores big

In many ways, the NFL couldn't have asked for a better outcome for the Super Bowl. It got one exciting victory in extra time that made the Kansas City Chiefs the league's newest dynasty; a well-reviewed halftime show from Usher; a complete list of pricey ads; and of course Taylor Swift personally.

It was a powerful reminder of the Super Bowl's unique position in the American cultural landscape, and how that can translate into billions for a massive sports league.

The game was a place to see and be seen. Yes, Swift arrived from Japan in time to cheer on her boyfriend, Chiefs star Travis Kelce. And A-list celebrities like Jay-Z, Beyoncé and LeBron James were spotted at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

Also present were business magnates including Elon Musk – who is one increase in activity on his social network

The game could set a record. The broadcast, perhaps aided by an army of Swift fans, may exceed the 115 million viewers who tuned in last year, making it the most-watched show in American history. (Viewership for NFL games has risen sharply in recent years; the AFC and NFC championship games on Jan. 28 accounted for nearly 39 percent of national linear TV viewing.)

That would help explain why advertisers were still willing to pay more than $7 million for a 30-second spot during last night's broadcast. (More on the ads later.) “In this age of fragmentation, the Super Bowl is what television was,” Brad Adgate, a veteran media analyst, told The Times.

The NFL could also benefit from its growing ties to sports betting. Bets were expected to do so exceed $23 billion. Not all of that was necessarily legal, but the level of interest could validate the league's interest in gambling, which has brought lucrative sponsorships with gambling companies and, most importantly, greater involvement from sports fans.

All of this bodes well for the future of the league. The NFL already stands to collect more than $125 billion from the sale of broadcast rights to its games over the next decade. Strong ratings allow the league to do that outsource games to streaming giants for eye-wateringly high prices.

That success is pushing NFL franchise valuations to record levels, and as DealBook reported this weekend, it will be high on the agenda at next month's owners meeting, which will discuss whether institutions can buy into teams.

About the ads: Which were the most discussed? Contenders included actor Michael Cera absurdist CeraV placeBeyoncé's stealth album announcement in a pitch to Verizon and the latest Ben Affleck appearance for Dunkin' (with Matt Damon, Jennifer Lopez and Tom Brady – who also appeared in a BetMGM Ad).

But a much-discussed advert, for Cetaphil lotion, has drawn criticism after a social media influencer said the premise was stolen from her.

HERE'S WHAT'S HAPPENING

Donald Trump is reviving concerns about his involvement in NATO. European leaders warned of the geopolitical risks of a second Trump term after the former president said this weekend that he would not defend some NATO members from an attack from Russia. But some hawkish Republicans, including Senators Lindsey Graham and Marco Rubio, refused to criticize Trump.

An aid bill for Israel and Ukraine ends up in the Senate. The emergency funding measure, which would send $60 billion to Kiev and $14 billion to Jerusalem, easily cleared a critical hurdle on Sunday that could soon allow it to pass the full House. But the bill faces longer odds in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives.

Israel fires back after Moody's credit rating downgrade. The credit rating agency downgraded its sovereign rating on Israel over concerns about the war in Gaza and the weakening of the country's “executive and legislative institutions.” Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, responded over the weekend that Israel's economy would recover “the moment we win the war.” Stock markets in Tel Aviv rose on Monday.

Counting the latest wave of layoffs in the tech sector. Companies like Microsoft, eBay and Snap have cut 34,000 jobs since the start of the year as they refocus their efforts on building products around generative AI. The Financial Times reports this, citing data from Layoffs.fyi. One analyst indicated that the layoffs are just beginning.

A critic bashes Tesla

Tesla shareholders have had a tough time lately, with stock prices falling on concerns about the electric vehicle market and a barrage of unflattering headlines about Elon Musk.

Then more bad news came during the Super Bowl on Sunday.

An enemy with deep pockets bought advertising time during the game. The Dawn Project, a nonprofit sponsored by tech entrepreneur Dan O'Dowd, used some expensive slots to call for a boycott of Tesla, part of the former Senate candidate. long-running crusade.

Quote a recent investigation by The Washington Post to deaths and injuries linked to Tesla vehicles running on Autopilot, the two ads called the self-driving technology “a reckless experiment” that has “claimed 33 lives.” (Under pressure from regulators, Tesla recalled more than two million vehicles in December following The Post's report.)

Tesla has withdrawn, sending the Dawn Project a cease and desist order in response to previous broadcast and print advertisements. Sunday's spots shot up plenty of discussion on Musk's social media platform X, with Tesla supporters and critics arguing over the technology. (Musk itself did not weigh in.)

The state of the EV market could be a bigger concern. Tesla, recently supplanted by China's BYD as the leader in electric vehicle sales, announced last weekend that it would lowered price of its popular Model Y by $1,000. This follows a series of discounts in Asia and Europe.

Musk played the last move as a temporary measure to boost demand during the winter when sales tend to slow.

Tesla is also under pressure for other reasons. The Wall Street Journal recently reported that some directors of Musk's companies had done so complicated financial ties to Musk, and knew of his use of illegal drugs. Meanwhile, a court in Delaware is close to ruling A $56 billion compensation package for Musk who was approved in 2018.

Tesla shares are down. This year, the stock is down more than 20 percent, the worst performance of the so-called Magnificent Seven stock group that has driven the S&P 500 to new highs.

Even old bulls get impatient. In a letter to investors last week, Wedbush analyst Dan Ives called on the board to take control of the story “to stop this Category 5 hurricane on Tesla stock.”

The latest mega deal in the oil patch

Mergers in the fossil fuel sector show no signs of slowing down, as two Permian Basin producers announced a $26 billion deal on Monday.

Diamondback Energy agreed to buy Endeavor Energy in a cash-and-stock deal. Endeavor, founded by wildcat billionaire Autry Stephens, had become the subject of takeover speculation in oil circles in recent months. (The Wall Street Journal reports thisConocoPhillips had also reportedly explored a bid.)

The deal would create one of the largest shale drills in the Permian, a stretch of land in West Texas and southeastern New Mexico that is rich in oil and natural gas.

Fossil Fuels M.&A. increases as oil prices rise. West Texas Intermediate, the U.S. benchmark, is up about 9 percent this year, driven in part by concerns that war in the Middle East could limit global supplies.

As Washington, Brussels and other governments promote greener energy sources, Big Oil is betting that demand for fossil fuels will remain high in the coming years.

The huge profits have led to an energy fusion wave, even though deal-making in general is lagging behind. The wave started in October with back-to-back blockbuster deals: Exxon Mobil's $60 billion bid for shale driller Pioneer Natural Resources and Chevron's $53 billion bid for Hess.

Then in December, Occidental announced a $12 billion acquisition of CrownRock, a drilling company with a large presence in the Permian. And last month Chesapeake Energy agreed to buy liquefied natural gas producer Southwestern Energy in an all-stock deal worth $7.4 billion.

The coming week

Stocks continue to break records. Will new inflation data and earnings reports continue the streak? Here's what you need to check out.

Tuesday: It's the event of the week: the Commerce Department will soon release its latest Consumer Price Index report, with economists prediction that inflation fell last month.

And Airbnb, Shopify, Krispy Kreme and Coca-Cola report earnings and offer new insights into consumer purchasing power.

Wednesday: Economic data on the calendar includes the consumer price index in Britain and fourth-quarter GDP for the eurozone and Japan. Cisco, Sony and Occidental Petroleum plan to report results.

Thursday: Retail sales figures are scheduled for release. Airbus, DoorDash, Deere and DraftKings will also announce their earnings.

Friday: The University of Michigan will release its latest consumer confidence report.

READING THE SPEED

Offers

• The costs of Disney's battle against activist investors, including Nelson Peltz could exceed $70 million, making it one of the most expensive proxy fights ever. (WSJ)

• The Italian luxury company Tod's is going private in a sale to its founding family and LVMH-backed investment firm L Catterton, which values ​​it at $1.5 billion. (FT)

Policy

• Representative Mike GallagherThe Wisconsin Republican, who chairs a House committee that oversees U.S. efforts to compete with China, is not running for re-election. (WSJ)

• How the departure of a top official at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission threatens the Biden administration's climate plans. (Politics)

The best of the rest

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