Expect to see more and more Super Bowl ads debuting online.

An aggregating trend is popping up before the Super Bowl ever year, but it’s not likely to go away.

Each year, more and more of the game’s trademark commercials are debuting online in the weeks leading to the big game.

For those of us who aren’t football super fans, the funny, overly-hyped commercials make the night as much as the game or the half time show. And despite what the barrage of spoilers available online would have you think, some of us still enjoy the occasional surprise or wait to build up to something.

But no, we’re stuck with the commercials debuting online in the weeks leading to the game.

The commercials make the Super Bowl more a cultural/social event. Case in point: A friend who watches football even less often called to tell me of his game-night food spread but quickly cut the call short so he wouldn’t miss any commercials.

It’s that engrained in us now.

Remember that Star Wars-themed Volkswagen commercial from a few years ago? A little kid dressed as Darth Vader is trying to use the force in various spots around his house to no avail. Eventually he does it to his dad’s Volkswagen and it starts. He thinks he used the force, but his dad smiles after he started the car with his built-in car starter.

Yeah, we basically have it to blame for the online pre-game blitz. According to the Los Angeles Times, the commercial was posted online and garnered 11 million views before game night and 60 million since.

Simply put: It worked. It got more eyes on the commercial over multiple occasions, so don’t expect it to change.

The commercials will continue going online first more and more often.