Monday, May 5, 2014

Star Wars vs. Star Trek vs. the Super Bowl, in one graph


Star Wars vs. Star Trek vs. the Super Bowl, in one graph





On this day, May 4, netizens celebrate one of the most iconic brands of all time, Star Wars. (Because “May the fourth be with you,” get it?)


The Force, light sabers, the death star — Star Wars is just so damn fun. Everyone, from politicians to middle eastern news outlets couldn’t help but join in and share their favorite moments of the inescapably pervasive science fiction universe.


But just how beloved is the Star Wars universe? Using Google Trends, I compared the popularity of search terms for Star Wars vs. Star Trek vs. the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl, one of the most widely watched event in the world, was added to give the full scope of how popular Stars Wars’ grip is in relation to everything else.


A graph showing how popular each of the three aforementioned entertainment properties have been over the last decade. Data comes from Google Trends.

Above: A graph showing how popular each of the three aforementioned entertainment properties have been over the last decade. Data comes from Google Trends.


Image Credit: Google


Star Wars single-handedly beats out Star Trek most of the time and, even during peak sports season, admirably competes with the Super Bowl. Over the last decade, the launch of a new film in the Star Wars universe had a much greater spike the mode interest in the super bowl.


The World Bank estimates that the Stars Wars franchise’s over $20 billion in lifetime revenue is worth more than the gross domestic product of 193 countries. Everyone has their own favorite sci-fi characters. Some folks are more into sports than movies. But, it was the brilliance of George Lucas and the compelling premise of the Jedi Knights that helped bring tech fantasy to the masses.


Some of my favorite tweets from today:








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