A Full Guide To Super Bowl 2021: Time, Streaming And Prediction - The New York Times

It’s Time to Answer Your Questions About

Super Bowl LV

By The New York Times Sports Desk February 6, 2021

1 I

What time is the Super Bowl?

1 I

The official kickoff time for Super Bowl LV is listed as 6:30 p.m. Eastern, although there will be pregame coverage almost all day long.

That means the start time is at 5:30 p.m. Central time, 4:30 p.m. Mountain time and 3:30 p.m. Pacific.

Time until the Super Bowl:

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2 II

Where is the Super Bowl?

2 II

The game will be played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. They have a big pirate ship there.

Jason Behnken/Associated Press

3 III

What channel is the game on, and how can I stream it?

3 III

The game will be broadcast on CBS and streamed free on CBSSports.com and the CBS Sports app, which is available on various smartphones and streaming platforms. Jim Nantz and Tony Romo will provide the commentary, as they did two years ago (last year’s game was on Fox). ESPN Deportes will provide Spanish coverage.

You can also follow along with New York Times reporters as we discuss the game, the ads and the halftime show. We highly recommend it!

Among the broadcasters worldwide are Seven Network (Australia), CTV (Canada), L’Équipe (France), DAZN (Germany), the BBC (U.K.) and Viasat Sport East (Uzbekistan).

4 IV

Who is playing?

4 IV

The defending champion Kansas City Chiefs had an N.F.L. best 14-2 record and won the A.F.C. championship. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (11-5) were seeded just fifth in the N.F.C. and had to win three straight road games to make it to the Super Bowl.

Here’s a brief look at how both teams got here. And here are some interesting statistics about the two teams.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers VS. Kansas City Chiefs 5 V

Why does Tampa Bay have a home advantage?

5 V

The Super Bowl sites are chosen several years in advance. This is the first time that a team has played a Super Bowl in its home stadium, although the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams have played in their home regions.

6 VI

Who are the big names?

6 VI

Inevitably the focus is on the matchup of the two quarterbacks: the veteran Tom Brady, who joined the Buccaneers after six Super Bowl titles in New England, and Patrick Mahomes, who is going for his second championship in three seasons as the Chiefs’ starter.

Among the other top names lining up will be tight end Travis Kelce and receiver Tyreek Hill of the Chiefs and tight end Rob Gronkowski and wide receiver Mike Evans of the Bucs.

Tom Brady Patrick Mahomes 7 VII

Wait, how old is Tom Brady?

7 VII

He’s 43, making him the oldest player ever to play in a Super Bowl. He once said he hoped to play until he was 45, but asked this past week if he might continue even after that, he replied: “Yeah, definitely. I would definitely consider that.”

This raises questions: Is his arm bionic? Is he the Boy Who Lived?

8 VIII

How is the Super Bowl dealing with the pandemic?

8 VIII

Players, coaches and staff members are being tested for the coronavirus twice daily. Should there be a positive test, the person must stay away from his or her team for a minimum of 10 days.

As for hosting the Super Bowl during a pandemic, “We’ll make the best of it,” Tampa’s mayor said.

9 IX

Will there be fans there?

9 IX

There will be 22,000 fans in the seats, and 2,700 more in luxury boxes. About 7,500 of those people will be health care workers, who will get their tickets free. It will, by a comfortable margin, be the lowest attended Super Bowl.

There will, however, be 30,000 other attendees in the stands. They will be made of cardboard.

10 X

How Super is this Bowl going to be?

10 X

Well, you never know, but oddsmakers are calling the Chiefs only a 3-point favorite, so the game could be close. The teams played in November in Tampa, and the Chiefs won, 27-24.

11 XI

Why do they call it a “Bowl” anyway?

11 XI

Hmmm, I didn’t see that question coming. The term dates back to the Rose Bowl Game, and before that the Yale Bowl stadium, built in 1914. The title remains on big games today, even when played in stadiums that are not really bowl-shaped.

12 XII

Who is going to win the Super Bowl? Just tell me.

12 XII

Our resident prognosticator, Benjamin Hoffman, has made his pick. He correctly predicted winners 50 percent of the time during the playoffs, so you could also flip a coin.

13 XIII

I’m feeling lucky. How can I bet on the Super Bowl?

13 XIII

If you live in one of the 20 states where betting on games is legal and underway, you’ve probably seen many ads for online sportsbooks. And some of them are offering can’t-miss prop bets.

14 XIV

What else should I watch for during the game?

14 XIV

Shaquil Barrett, Jason Pierre-Paul and Ndamukong Suh all found a home with the Buccaneers after being discarded elsewhere. Now they are part of a fearsome pass rush that has a clear mission: Get Patrick Mahomes.

If the game is close, a penalty could decide it, and the Buccaneers were charged with 11 fewer penalties for 300 fewer yards than their opponents in the regular season, the largest differential in the league.

For the first time, two women will be coaching on the field during a Super Bowl — and a woman will be officiating, too.

15 XV

Who will perform at the Super Bowl halftime show?

15 XV

The Weeknd, known for the ubiquitous hit of 2020 “Blinding Lights,” plus “Can’t Feel My Face,” “Starboy” and “The Hills.” In the past, there have often been surprise guest performers at the show, but we don’t know if that will happen this year.

We do know that the Weeknd will perform mainly from the stands instead of on the field.

16 XVI

What time is the halftime show?

16 XVI

It depends on exactly how long it takes to play the first half, but probably around 8 p.m. Eastern.

17 XVII

Who’s singing the national anthem at the Super Bowl?

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The national anthem will be a duet between the R&B singer Jazmine Sullivan and the country singer Eric Church. “America the Beautiful” will be performed by the soul singer H.E.R.

Poet of the moment Amanda Gorman will recite a new work as part of the pregame show as well.

18 XVIII

How much did Super Bowl ads cost this year?

18 XVIII

About $5.5 million for 30 seconds, close to the same as last year. Several of the sponsors most closely associated with the game, like Coca-Cola and Hyundai, have decided not to advertise in this unusual year. Budweiser said it also would not participate and would make a donation to vaccination efforts instead.

19 XIX

What’s with the Roman numerals?

19 XIX

The N.F.L. says that Super Bowls are numbered because the game is played in the calendar year after the regular season, and “Super Bowl 2021” could be ambiguous. It isn’t exactly Christians versus lions, but the Roman numerals also help give the game a sense of colossal importance.

20 XX

What’s all this about owls?

20 XX

Every year about this time, internet searches for “Super Bowl” go way up. But so do searches for “Superb Owl,” as fast-typing fans put the space in the wrong place.

In case you actually arrived at this article looking instead for owl content, here’s a story about a snowy owl spotted in Central Park for the first time in a century. Now that’s superb.

Written by Victor Mather. Designed and produced by Michael Beswetherick and Rebecca Lieberman.

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