Your Guide to Watching Super Bowl 2022

Ready for the big game? Super Bowl LVI is set for February 13 with the upstart Cincinnati Bengals taking on the Los Angeles Rams. You won’t want to miss it—and the places to watch and livestream have changed this year. Check it out.

Game 411

Super Bowl LVI will feature two of the National Football League’s most explosive offenses and will mark only the second matchup in Super Bowl history between two quarterbacks selected No. 1 overall in the NFL Draft: the Bengals’ Joe Burrow (2020) and the Rams’ Matthew Stafford (2009), both of whom are seeking their first championships.

The game is expected to be close–which shouldn’t surprise anyone who’s followed the riveting action in the League’s playoffs this year. They’ve included plenty of close games and incredible finishes.

Las Vegas oddsmakers listed the Rams as the early favorite after the matchup was finalized, mostly giving the Bengals anywhere from 3½ to 4 points, but this is subject to change up until kickoff.

The Rams are in the Super Bowl for the second time under fifth-year coach Sean McVay and are seeking their first Super Bowl championship since Kurt Warner led them to victory in January 2000 when the club was still playing in St. Louis.

The Bengals are seeking their first Super Bowl win. Their last appearance was in 1989, and it ended in tragic fashion. That Boomer Esiason–led club lost a 20–16 heartbreaker after Joe Montana led a late 92-yard drive and completed a touchdown pass to John Taylor with 34 seconds remaining.

The pandemic will likely mean there will be fewer Super Bowl parties. But the game is still expected to draw a massive audience topping 100 million viewers. It has typically been the most-watched TV broadcast in the U.S. in a given year since its inception 56 years ago.

The growing use of livestreaming services in recent years has boosted game-day viewership even further—both nationally and internationally.

Where is Super Bowl LVI being played?

The game will be at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA, home of the Rams. This will be the second time a team playing in the Super Bowl will be hosting the game in its own stadium. Last season’s contest at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL, marked the first time, and it worked out well for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

What network is showing Super Bowl LVI and who is the broadcast team?

NBC will be broadcasting. Al Michaels is doing play-by-play, Chris Collinsworth will offer color commentary and Michele Tafoya and Kathryn Tappen will serve as sideline reporters. NBC’s sister network Telemundo will become the first-ever Spanish-language network to air the game.

Super Bowl LVI—or Super Bowl 56, as non-traditionalists prefer—is set to kick off at 6:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST).

NBC was originally scheduled to televise last year’s big game, with CBS slated to broadcast this season’s Super Bowl. However, the two networks cut a deal to swap years, so NBC could have both the Super Bowl and the Winter Olympics in 2022 and avoid Olympic coverage getting clobbered by going up against the football TV ratings giant. In fact, NBC is banking on its Olympic coverage getting a big boost from the Super Bowl, as it will be airing the Olympics immediately after the game and postgame show.

This is the 20th time NBC will air a Super Bowl. Besides NBC, both ESPN and the NFL Network will also provide pre- and postgame analysis throughout the day.

Where else can I find Super Bowl LVI, including streaming services?

Cord cutters can simply watch on a smartphone or other connected devices by streaming it live on Peacock or with the NBCSports app. Other streaming services showing the Super Bowl include YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, FuboTV and Sling TV.

For avid streamers, reliable internet is especially important—and nothing beats speedy fiber optic service, with plenty of bandwidth for all the streamers in your home.

Will the pandemic affect Super Bowl LVI for fans and players?

All fans attending the game will be given KN95 masks and must wear them at all times, except when they’re drinking or eating, according to rules set by Los Angeles County health officials.

Unlike during the regular season, the League’s few unvaccinated players have not been subjected to daily testing during the playoffs. The same procedures remain in place during the days leading up to the Super Bowl, so players won’t be tested unless they’re experiencing symptoms or their number is called through the NFL’s random testing protocols. Those who test positive are subject to a five-day isolation period before they are eligible to play.

Will there be live entertainment at Super Bowl LVI?

Yes, and it will be star-studded, to say the least.

Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Dr. Dre, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar will appear on the world’s greatest stage and perform at halftime. Combined, they’ve won 43 Grammys and released 22 No. 1 Billboard albums.

You can check out the Pepsi Super Bowl LVI halftime show trailer here.

All pregame and halftime events will be aired by NBC.

Program availability may vary and air times are subject to change. Streaming services may require a subscription and sometimes an additional fee.