BTS Was Supposed To Make History At NFL’s “2022 Super Bowl LVI” This Year But Instead Got Snubbed
On Sunday, the world’s largest sports league, The National Football League (NFL), hosted the 2022 Super Bowl LVI. The Super Bowl is one of the biggest events in the world as it’s the annual playoff championship for “the best” NFL teams. So, on February 13, the Cincinnati Bengals played against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, California.
Previously, BTS‘s Suga shared that he hoped to perform at the event one day.
Do I want to perform at the Super Bowl next year? I’d like to, but we’ll have to be invited… We can’t do it just because we want to.
— Suga
BTS was not scheduled to be performing at the Super Bowl. This year, instead, legendary rappers Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, and Kendrick Lamar performed at the Halftime Show.
On the other hand, Audacy reported that BTS was to be featured during one of the highly sought-after ad spots during the 2022 Super Bowl LVI. According to NBC, the asking price for just a 30-second commercial is $6.5 million USD, and it’s gone up $1 million since 2021.
Instead of a short 30-second ad, BTS appears in a two-minute video that’s not really a commercial. Rather, it’s a promotional video for a new campaign.
Recently, tech company Samsung unveiled its new lineup of products during the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event. Also, Global Ambassadors BTS were featured in a promotional video for the new “Galaxy For The Planet” campaign. The video was suspected to air during the commercial breaks.
The video appears to be inspired by Bob Dylan‘s iconic “Subterranean Homesick Blues” music video. Similarly, BTS members hold one card after another to reveal messages regarding a social issue.
The social issue in question is in regards to the environmental crisis, particularly how plastics pollute the oceans.
So, statements include “The oceans are drowning in plastic,” “Marine animals are suffering, it’s time for a change,” and “With the power of we, us together.”
The video concludes with the members coming together with signs that read, “LET’S WORK TOGETHER FOR A BETTER FUTURE.” In doing so, they encourage others to join them as we know BTS “are not seven with you.”
The promotional video features the trademarked sound for Samsung Galaxy smartphones, “Over the Horizon,” but the Suga-produced remix. With this version used in the video, it was set to make Suga the first Korean music artist to have their song play during a Super Bowl advertisement.
congratulations to min yoongi on over the horizon becoming the first ever song by a korean solo artist to be played at the superbowl !! he and his works will forever be legendary <3
PROD SUGA SUPERBOWL AD
PROUD OF SUGA#OverTheHorizonbySUGA#SuperBowlxBTSpic.twitter.com/eyWul9ZyfN— ًjk (@lovtjn) February 14, 2022
SO THANKFUL FOR EXISTING AT THE SAME TIME THAT MIN YOONGI THE BEST PRODUCER
PROD SUGA SUPERBOWL AD PROUD OF SUGA#OverTheHorizonbySUGA #SuperBowlxBTS pic.twitter.com/OnXtjmgftx
— Drew 🧋 ⟭⟬⁷ 짱짱맨봉봉‹𝟹 (@yoongerine7) February 14, 2022
Yet, when ARMYs tuned into the 2022 Super Bowl LVI, they were met with great disappointment. After sitting through the game, BTS never appeared during a commercial break.
Really curious where our #SuperBowlxBTS #OverTheHorizonbySUGA commercial is?!??!?! pic.twitter.com/VuiwwKlxmF
— 💜🐟ᴮᴱaGoodHuman ⁷ 🐟💜 (@LoverofAllOT7) February 14, 2022
Many felt “clowned” after hearing that they would see BTS on television on Sunday.
army wasting 4 hours of their lives for a commercial that never aired #OverTheHorizonbySUGA #SuperBowlxBTS pic.twitter.com/fxsZeYJqaV
— enid⁷ will see coldplay (@taeerex) February 14, 2022
Army mood:#OverTheHorizonbySUGA #방탄소년단 #ARMY #SuperBowlxBTS pic.twitter.com/8UfM3iwGDb
— anto⁷♡🐰// stream a stay alive (@_t4echild) February 14, 2022
And, it was all the more frustrating considering BTS’s Samsung ad was the only reason for most to watch the game in the first place.
The only reason I'm watching the Super Bowl.
PROD SUGA SUPERBOWL AD
PROUD OF SUGA#OverTheHorizonbySUGA#SuperBowlxBTSpic.twitter.com/uIw7Omk8Zb— Kimberly Holliday (@texaskookie) February 14, 2022
Y’all I’m mad, how are they not playing this ad who do we go to sue I really watched 4hrs of football for nothing???!!!! #SuperBowlxBTS #OverTheHorizonbySUGA
Me emotions rn: pic.twitter.com/V4wWL43IHU
— Kylie (@kluoi_w) February 14, 2022
Not a footbaII fan. Am only watching for the Ad. I will live my entire life and never understand footbaII but I guess I’ll cheer for the orange and blue ants since they match the color of my snacks 😆
PROD SUGA SUPERBOWL AD
PROUD OF SUGA#OverTheHorizonbySUGA#SuperBowlxBTS pic.twitter.com/irfoeXQ2dT— 1TBLSPˢᵘᵍᵃ🍊 (@mandaroongi) February 13, 2022
Many patiently waited with no luck in the end.
patiently waiting #SuperBowlxBTS pic.twitter.com/P6hzWXOldg
— ♡︎ 𝑘𝑖𝑚 𝑡𝑎𝑒ℎ𝑦𝑢𝑛𝑔 ♡︎ (@taenotbae) February 14, 2022
The past 20 Ad breaks have changed me…
still waiting for
PROD SUGA SUPERBOWL AD
PROUD OF SUGA#OverTheHorizonbySUGA#SuperBowlxBTS pic.twitter.com/ehnmhmTY5k— 1TBLSPˢᵘᵍᵃ🍊 (@mandaroongi) February 14, 2022
ARMYs feel misled and disappointed, especially considering Suga was to make history with his produced version of “Over the Horizon.”
Watch BTS and Samsung’s promotional campaign video below: