Research from Apple and the University of Michigan reveals that Super Bowl celebrations create measurable noise increases nationwide, not just in stadiums. Using data from over 115,000 Apple Watch users, researchers tracked noise levels during four recent Super Bowls, uncovering several patterns.
Why it matters
This is the first time researchers have documented how a single, brief event can raise noise levels across a country.
- Super Bowl noise can reach twice the level of regular Sundays.
- Wearing hearing protection, a simple precaution that helps fans enjoy the game while protecting their hearing health.
By the numbers
- National noise levels increased 1.5 to 3 decibels during Super Bowls
- A 3-decibel increase doubles sound energy, though it's barely noticeable to our ears
- The elevated noise lasted about 6 hours: 3 hours before kickoff through 3 hours after the game
- Note: All data used in this research is publicly available on GitHub, allowing other researchers to verify and build upon these findings. The study continues to monitor noise exposure patterns, having previously documented nationwide noise reductions during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns.
As you can see in the figure above showing the average for the 2021 to 2024 Super Bowls, this increase started about three hours before the game started and lasted about three hours after the game ended.
A closer look
The study compared noise levels between Super Bowl Sundays and the following Sundays from 2021 through 2024. States with participating teams and host cities consistently showed higher noise levels than other states. This pattern was consistent over all four years, indicating that local team participation increases Super Bowl celebrations and the corresponding noise. No surprises here.
The takeaway
Super Bowl celebrations create significant noise exposure. The researchers recommend monitoring noise levels during such events using tools like the Apple Watch Noise app and wearing hearing protection when needed.
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