The Real Super Bowl Advantage? Connected Culture.

The TV ratings are in. Super Bowl 60 was watched by just under 125 million viewers in the United States making it the second most-watched telecast in American TV history.

Fans tuned in for the commercials, the halftime show and the game itself. What they also witnessed, whether they realized it or not, was a masterclass in connected culture.

As the Seahawks sideline reporter, I spend a lot of time around the team. I’ve seen firsthand how they built and protected the culture that carried them to the Super Bowl and ultimately to a championship.

Talent matters.
Strategy matters.

But connectedness is what separates good teams from great ones.

Here are three ways to identify a connected culture, based on what I observed from the 2025 Seattle Seahawks:

1. They created space for conversations beyond the work.

Head coach Mike Macdonald set aside time for “walk and talks.” Teammates and coaches paired up to talk about topics outside of game planning, practice and film study. They learned each other’s “why.” They built understanding that went deeper than a role or a roster spot.

In business, this looks like creating space for conversations that aren’t agenda-driven. When people understand each other beyond their job titles, collaboration improves. Accountability becomes personal. Trust accelerates.

Connection doesn’t happen accidentally. It happens intentionally.

2. They protected the fun.

The team’s shadowboxing made headlines the week before the Super Bowl, but I can tell you it wasn’t new. It was part of the locker room dynamic all season long.

On the surface, it might look like a distraction. Time that could be spent studying, lifting, training or reviewing film. But every single player would tell you it brought them closer. It created interactions across position groups. It harnessed competitiveness in a way that strengthened relationships.

Fun is not the opposite of performance. In high-performing cultures, it fuels it.

When teams have safe outlets for energy and connection, trust builds faster than it ever will in another meeting.

3. They celebrated each other loudly and authentically.

From the sidelines, the joy was unmistakable. Success was celebrated — no matter who made the play. There was no visible jealousy over opportunities missed or roles played. There was genuine excitement for one another.

In results-driven environments, scarcity thinking can quietly creep in. But connected teams operate from abundance. When one person wins, the team wins. And that shared momentum compounds.

More overall team success led to more personal accomplishment — culminating in a championship.

This is just one way to think outside the box scores in making sports conversations and sporting events useful in business.