50 Sense: Super Bowl 50 frequently asked questions

Super Bowl 50

All the things you wanted to know about Super Bowl 50 but were afraid to ask Phil Simms.

Super Bowl 50

So What Is All This? Super Bowl 50, the NFL’s championship game for the 2015 season, is played Feb. 7 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. The winner gets to declare their fans as greatest in the world. The loser has to clean up the confetti.

What’s 50 In Roman Numerals? L. Yes, just L. You can see why the NFL went with 50.

Is It On TV? Yes, on CBS, at 6:30pm ET. Jim Nantz and Phil Simms call the game with Tracy Wolfson reporting. The last time CBS aired a Super Bowl, there was a power outage that suspended the game for 34 minutes.

How Many People Watch It? An average audience of 114.4 million watched last year’s Super Bowl on NBC, making it the most watched broadcast in U.S. TV history.

Is It Commercial-Free? No, and those commercials aren’t free, either. A 30-second TV spot costs about $5 million. Here are some you can see early, making watching them during the game entirely pointless.

Can I Lose Money On It? In more ways than you ever thought possible! You can place prop bets on stuff like the coin toss, length of the national anthem, what people are wearing and what silly stuff Nantz and Simms will say. Vegas profited $3.2 million off the $115.9 million wagered last year.

Who Sings The National Anthem? Lady Gaga, hopefully appearing as her American Horror Story: Hotel character.

Who Will We Complain About At Halftime? Moody British rockers Coldplay will perform at halftime, giving viewers something to moan about on Twitter. Coldplay will be joined by special guest Beyoncé. Even more very special guests are rumored to be Rihanna, Bruno Mars, Up With People and Elvis Presto. The last two are rumors we just made up.

Is There Football? Yes, there is some football played in there somewhere. The AFC champion Denver Broncos, led by quarterback Peyton Manning, take on the NFC champion Carolina Panthers, led by Black Quarterback Cam Newton. The last time the Broncos were in the Super Bowl, we got Seahawks 43, Broncos 8. The last time the Panthers were in the Super Bowl, we got Janet Jackson’s boob.

Football? Stupid Football. Some alternate viewing options: Puppy Bowl XII (Animal Planet), Kitten Bowl III (Hallmark Channel), Pineapple Express (Comedy Central), Mega Shark vs. Mecha Shark (Syfy), A Star Is Born (TCM), Into the Badlands marathon (AMC), women’s college gymnastics (ESPN2) and the Petticoat Junction Season 3 DVDs you got for Christmas.

Can I Stay Tuned For 60 Minutes After? A live edition of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert follows all the CBS postgame stuff, the first time a late-night series gets the post-Super Bowl spot. Colbert’s guests are Tina Fey, Will Ferrell, Margot Robbie, Megyn Kelly and comedy duo Key & Peele.

ALSO SEE:

Super Bowl’s Greatest Commercials All-Star Countdown special on CBS

50 Sense: Super Bowl 50 frequently asked questions

Conan O’Brien hosts the 2016 NFL Honors ceremony on CBS

 

About Ryan Berenz 2166 Articles
Member of the Television Critics Association. Charter member of the Ancient and Mystic Society of No Homers. Squire of the Ancient & Benevolent Order of the Lynx, Lodge 49, Long Beach, Calif. Costco Wholesale Gold Star Member since 2011.