Los Angeles Times

In Super Bowl, can NFL tackle its challenges?

When Super Bowl LII kicks off Sunday with the New England Patriots facing the Philadelphia Eagles, there will be more on the line than the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

A season of turmoil and changing viewer habits has chipped away at what has long been the most durable TV franchise. As the league's marquee event, the Super Bowl has always been bigger than football, drawing non-fans who are partying with friends and watching the big-budget, celebrity-studded commercials priced at $5 million per 30 seconds that will be teased online and presented to an audience of more than 100 million viewers. Spending on Super Bowl ads has surged 35 percent in the last decade.

But this year the Super Bowl will be a test of whether the nearly 10 percent decline in viewership during the regular season - the second consecutive ratings drop - is a blip or marks a true turning point in

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