Thank god it’s February – Super Bowl time!
While the Bucs and Tom Brady ready their home field for the main event, and the Chiefs give star QB Patrick Mahomes some much-needed rest, you’ve got preparations to make as well. Aside from salsa for the chips and a refrigerator for the beers, you’ll find everything you need right here. What time is the Super Bowl in 2021 and when should you tune in? For all that and more including this year’s Super Bowl channel and a look and who’s playing in the big game and performing at half time, read on.
It’s been a chaotic season for the NFL, and indeed the world. With largely fan-less stadiums, game delays, and a mid-season spread of infection, Covid-19 reshaped the league this year, and the Super Bowl is in no way immune.
There will be 22,000 fans allowed inside Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, including 7,500 vaccinated health care workers invited by the NFL – a venue that normally swells to a capacity of over 65,000. So if, like most of the world, you’ll be watching from home, then we’ve got a dedicated guide showing how to get a Super Bowl live stream.
What time is the Super Bowl? 2021 kickoff, start time and date
Super Bowl LV will kick off at 6.30pm ET / 3.30pm PT / 5.30pm CT on Sunday February 7.
That means European viewers will be staying up late to catch the big game, with the start time currently slated for 11.30pm GMT in the UK or 12.30pm CET for viewers in most of mainland Europe. While that might mean a sleepy morning for the UK and Europe, Australian viewers will need to take the whole day off, with a 10.30am AEDT start time on Monday, February 8.
Super Bowl channel and networks across the world
CBS will be broadcasting the big game this year, with Spanish language coverage available on ESPN Deportes. If you’re looking to watch from outside of the US, you’re in luck. Excitement for the championship game has been spreading across the world over the last few years, and now you’ll likely find a major channel offering a broadcast for free. Check the list below for your local station:
- United Kingdom: BBC 1 / Sky Sports (or Now TV)
- Australia: 7mate / ESPN (via Foxtel TV subscription) / Croc Media / Kayo
- Mexico: Canal 5 / ESPN Deportes / Fox Sports / TV Azteca
- Brazil: ESPN Deportes
- Canada: CTV / TSN / DAZN / RDS
- Germany: DAZN / ProSieben
- Spain: Movistar Deportes
- Netherlands: Fox Sports
- Czech Republic: Sport 1
- Switzerland: DAZN / ProSieben
Where is the Super Bowl taking place?
2021 marks the first time the Super Bowl will take place at the home field of one of the participating teams – so Super Bowl LV has made history before it’s even started!
The Tampa Bay Bucs have spent three weeks on the road to get to this point and are finally playing a home game – and it’s the biggest one of them all. Super Bowl LV takes place at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa – the four-time hosting field which last saw the Lombardi Trophy lifted by Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers back in 2009.
Who’s playing the Super Bowl in 2021?
The two teams playing in the Super Bowl in 2021 are the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs are back in the big game for a second straight year and are regarded as favorites to repeat in Super Bowl LV, led by superstar QB and last year’s league MVP Patrick Mahomes.
Standing in their way, however, are the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who not only boast home field advantage for the first time in Super Bowl history, but are also led by the last quarterback to win back-to-back NFL titles – six-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady, who accomplished the feat with the New England Patriots in 2003 and 2004.
It’s a matchup that has it all and the one most NFL fans were secretly hoping materialized as the playoffs progressed, featuring two explosive offensives, two underrated defenses – and of course a generational quarterback showdown of epic proportion in the 43-year-old Brady vs the 25-year-old Mahomes.
Watch the Super Bowl online without cable
There have never been more ways to watch the Super Bowl, no matter where you are or what device you want to tune in with. With the popularity of American football spreading across the world, you’ll find plenty of TV channels offering Super Bowl coverage – as well as many alternatives.
If you’re watching from the US itself, you could simply tune into CBS’ coverage, which will be available on TV or via its website if you’ve got it through your cable package – and as a national broadcaster, it should come with even the most basic ones.
If you’ve cut the cord, however, you’ve got plenty ways to watch the Super Bowl 2021 without cable. Consult our dedicated guide or head straight to the likes of a FREE FuboTV trial or by checking out Hulu and its Live TV offering.
If you’re in the UK, you can watch the big game live on free-to-air BBC one, meaning you anyone located in the UK can stream the Super Bowl online free with iPlayer – the BBC’s streaming platform.
You’ll also find coverage through a Sky Sports subscription and the companion Sky Go app (or one of its Now TV streaming-only passes), while in Australia Foxtel’s Kayo Sports service will let you tune in to all the Super Bowl action without a pay TV contract.
How to watch your home Super Bowl coverage from anywhere
There’s even an easy way to tune in to your home Super Bowl coverage if you’re abroad for the big game. While most streaming services are tied to specific regions and therefore block access from other countries, a simple piece of software called a VPN will help you get around these digital borders – an annoying phenomenon known in geek-speak as ‘geo-blocking’.
Of the many ones available, our reviewers currently have ExpressVPN installed as the world’s best option for most streamers – and you can try it 100% risk-free for 30 days with this special offer.
Our latest 2021 testing has it working well with the likes of BBC iPlayer, Sky services like Sky Go and Kayo Sports.
Super Bowl performers and halftime show 2021
The Weeknd will be headlining this year’s Super Bowl halftime show, and you can Save Your Tears, because those Blinding Lights will certainly be In Your Eyes. This Starboy has had an incredible year, with his album After Hours sitting at the top of the charts around the world and earning him a spot on the Billboard 100 for four straight weeks.
The Canadian singer songwriter will be following in the heel-steps of JLo and Shakira, who shook Hard Rock Stadium with a powerful salute to Latin culture last year. Not only that, but with previous guests offering up a laundry lists of the music industry’s greatest acts, there’s certainly a reputation to live up to.
For a taste of what could be, we’re rounding up the five best ever 5 best ever Super Bowl halftime shows and to ensure you don’t miss out on the theatrics, we’re also showing you how to watch the Super Bowl halftime show online from anywhere.
Go deep on Super Bowl LV: