“How to watch the Super Bowl?“
That, my friends, is a query that’s soooo 2021.
If you’re not sure what I mean, just consider this:
- In 2014, the percentage of cord cutters in North America was just 8.2%¹. Watching the Super Bowl for most fans was merely a matter of turning on the TV.
- By 2019, that figure reportedly rose to 59%². So if you were among those 193 million and had access to Fox Sports, all was good. Otherwise, you had the option of watching the big game at a sports bar or crashing a Super Bowl party.
- Sources:
- ¹ techcrunch.com
- ² review42.com
Fast forward to January, 2021. With the coronavirus still raging across the U.S., and affecting some NFL cities particularly hard, watching the Super Bowl publicly isn’t a good idea.
Notably then, here are some things that NFL fans need to consider:
- Pre-Covid19 estimates had the number of cord-cutting US households increasing by 13% this year.
- The pandemic is reportedly accelerating cord cutting, so 13% is likely an underestimate.
- There are more streaming options than ever before.
Accordingly, this is what it boils down to: streaming the Super Bowl in 2021 suddenly got difficult.
What streaming service has the Super Bowl?
Super Bowl LV will be broadcast exclusively on CBS.
There are 3 major streaming services that carry CBS Sports:
- Hulu
- Fubo TV
- YouTube TV
Additionally, you can stream the Super Bowl with CBS All Access. It’s free if you already subscribe to a supported cable provider. Otherwise, it’ll cost you $5.99 & up per month.
You can currently get a free one week trial, but I seriously doubt that this offer will be available in the days before the game.
How to watch Super Bowl LV online
For many fans, not having CBS Sports is a conundrum for the entire playoffs, not just the Super Bowl. Six of the 13 postseason games will be broadcast on CBS.
How to watch the Super Bowl if you don’t have access to CBS?
There are just 2 legit streaming options:
- NFL Game Pass – You can stream SB LV live, but not in the U.S., Canada, or China. Residents of these nations will have to wait for the game replay.
- Yahoo Sports App – The app is free, so what’s the catch? You’ll be forced to watch on a tiny screen. In addition to lacking a version for Roku or Chromecast, casting to a TV is blocked.
How can I stream the Super Bowl for free?
Indeed, it’s one thing to watch a regular season game on the Yahoo Sports App. But to “enjoy” the penultimate sporting event on an 8” screen?
Unfathomable.
Therefore – strictly as a last resort – you can try one of the free NFL streaming sites that are reviewed here.
Be forewarned – use of these rogue sites can be risky, as well as problematic. Common issues such as pop up ads and buffering can be negligible during the regular season, but are bound to magnify for the Super Bowl. In fact, it may be bad enough to render the stream useless.
Watching Super Bowl LV in person
If you’re thinking of getting tickets for the big event, here are some tips on how to watch the Super Bowl safely and plan ahead.
Super Bowl Ticket Prices Are Super High.
Tickets
Super Bowl tickets are always expensive, but they’re especially pricey this time around. As of this writing, the average secondary market cost is 48% more than a year ago, and hasn’t been this high since 2015.
Additionally, the limited seating will go faster than ever. Due to Covid-19 protocols, the current maximum number of spectators allowed at Raymond James Stadium is 16,000. That may or may not change come Super Bowl Sunday.
See the latest Super Bowl ticket prices.
Parking
At this point, the availability of Super Bowl LV parking passes on the secondary market appears to be non-existent. But you can find privately-owned parking spaces for as little as 25 bucks within .3 miles of Raymond James Stadium here.
Events and restrictions
Normally there are dozens of events and parties in the host city before the big game. But due to the uncertainty caused by the coronavirus, the Super Bowl Experience is the lone confirmed event at this point. Set to take place from Jan. 29 – Feb. 6 along the Tampa Riverwalk, the SB Experience will be free and outdoors for the first time.
Pertaining to travel restrictions, the state of Florida currently has none for out-of-state visitors. More importantly, the Covid-19 figures seem to be taking a positive turn. After Hillsborough County saw a steady increase in both 7- & 14-day new cases since October, those numbers decreased by 6%/15%, respectively since its peak.
Date New Cases (7-day average) % of 14-day New Cases
12/19/20 647 14.4%
12/26/20 636 13.8%
1/1/21 608 12.2%
Additional guidance
For more on NFL streaming, try these pages: