All You Need to Know About Super Bowl LIV

The Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens will stage the Super Bowl LIV. Photo: AJ Lipp

The countdown is on for the Super Bowl LIV, the 54^th Super Bowl and the 50^th championship game in the modern-day era of the National Football League (NFL). The location has already been set for Super Bowl LIV, with Florida’s Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens set to celebrate the seventh decade of Super Bowl action. It will be the sixth Super Bowl staged in Miami Gardens, with Super Bowl XLIV the last time it was staged in this region of South Florida.

The game has been scheduled for February 2, 2020, which also happens to be Groundhog Day. Already there are ticket sites selling tickets and VIP packages for an event that’s considered a once-in-a-lifetime experience for many football fans – even if their own team hasn’t reached it! Although most official ticket sellers for Super Bowl LIV have now sold out, there are a number of third-party platforms that are still selling tickets for four figures – and sometimes even more than that.

Of course, there’s more to the Super Bowl LIV than just the football action itself. It’s an entire day of entertainment, before, during and after the game. One of the biggest talking points for each Super Bowl is the “Halftime Show”, which sees headline acts take to the field and wow the crowds in the stadium and at home during the interval. The acts for Super Bowl LIV have already been confirmed, with Jennifer Lopez and Shakira offering a distinctly Latino-themed show. Both J-Lo and Shakira join an esteemed list of musical icons that have performed at the same Super Bowl Halftime Show in Miami Gardens, including Stevie Wonder, The Who and Prince.

In a recent filmed conversation with Hollywood actor, Robert Pattinson, J-Lo admitted that she was hugely “excited” to be invited to perform at Super Bowl LIV. She said that there is “not a musical artist in the world that doesn’t dream of performing” at the NFL’s biggest event of the year. For Shakira, the day will have even greater importance as she will be blessed to perform at Super Bowl LIV on her birthday.

Caption: It’s hard to beat the pomp and ceremony of the pre-game entertainment at the Super Bowl. Photo by planetc1

As you can probably imagine, the commercial side of the Super Bowl is considered an absolute behemoth. With an average viewing figure of 98.2 million for Super Bowl LII – and that was the lowest figure since 2008! – you can see why. It has already been reported that the FOX network will be charging up to $5.6 million for in-game Super Bowl LIV commercials, while CBS is also charging $5.2 million for their 30-second in-game commercials. The main reason the TV networks are charging more this year for commercials than ever before? There will be fewer ad breaks, thanks to an agreement between the networks and the NFL, cutting it from five per quarter to four. This is great news for those viewers that may have been put off the Super Bowl due to the stop-start nature of the television coverage.

The leading contenders to reach – and win – Super Bowl LIV

Considering that the event is being staged in Miami, you might be wondering whether the people of Miami are crossing their fingers that the Dolphins will make it this time around. However, you would probably struggle to find a Dolphins fan sane enough to believe in their Super Bowl LIV chances. In fact, most sportsbooks have the Dolphins as the rank outsiders to win the main event in February 2020. The Dolphins are joined by the likes of the Cincinnati Bengals and the Washington Redskins as the rank outsiders for Super Bowl LIV success. Meanwhile teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Minnesota Vikings are considered some of the value bets to sneak into the Super Bowl. Pittsburgh have been heavily indebted to the performances of rookie players so far this season, with defensive tackle, Devin Bush a contender for defensive rookie of the year in 2019/20.

Let’s take a look at the four main contenders that are hoping to party in Miami after a Super Bowl LIV victory:

New England Patriots

The New England Patriots have long been the front-runners in the AFC, along with the Kansas City Chiefs. The Patriots are being tipped by many to go one further than 2019 and win the Super Bowl LIV. Their 41-33 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles was a bitter pill to swallow for the Pats, with iconic quarterback Tom Brady recently admitting that he and his teammates still have “mental scar tissue” from that loss. Judging by their form so far in 2019/20 however, New England appear keen to set the record straight this time.

Kansas City Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs will also be keen to right the wrongs of last season. The Chiefs came within a whisker of reaching the Super Bowl 2019, but some unreliability in their defense and some off-field issues meant that their place in the big game eluded them. They do have a real ace up their sleeve in the shape of quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, who has the potential to be the league’s MVP.

New Orleans Saints

Speaking of hard-luck stories, the New Orleans Saints are a team that have flirted with Super Bowl glory in recent years. Few NFL fans will forget the way they were defeated by the Vikings following a miracle play. 2019 looked like being a great chance for the Saints too, were it not for a pass interference call that pegged them back against the Los Angeles Rams. Some NFL analysts believe the Saints to have the most “complete” roster, which could stand them in good stead for Super Bowl LIV.

Los Angeles Rams

Speaking of the LA Rams, they enjoyed a fantastic run to the 2019 Super Bowl, arriving as NFC champions. Repeating that feat in 2020 could be just beyond them, although they are still a hugely powerful team on the field when everything clicks. There is plenty of skill and technical talent in all areas of the field, so it would be foolish to write them off at this stage of the season.

Whatever the outcome, one thing we can guarantee is that the Super Bowl LIV will be a spectacle. If you’ve never watched the Super Bowl before and are wondering what the fuss is about, be sure to tune in on February 2 to see why many believe it to be the premier game in world sport.