No, this is not some parallel universe we are living in. This is just how big and huge and all-encompassing the Super Bowl has become.
The commercials within the broadcast of the big game on Sunday will be studied, analyzed and criticized as if they were Hollywood blockbusters. No, they are not bigger than the game itself, but the commercials represent a cultural touchstone for many Americans.
They also cost a lot of money. A premium 30-second commercial in Super Bowl 50 costs $5 million, according to Advertising Age (h/t Alison Dorf of the Tucson News Now).