Super Bowl 60 Countdown Nears as Bad Bunny Prepares for Historic Performance
After an intense week of anticipation in the San Francisco Bay Area, the United States' premier sporting event is scheduled for Sunday night.
Super Bowl 60 will take place in Santa Clara, California, with the New England Patriots seeking a record seventh championship.
The Seattle Seahawks enter as narrow favorites to claim the Lombardi Trophy, but the event transcends the NFL title alone.
Numerous prominent figures from sports, music, and film have gathered in the Bay Area for what ranks among the world's largest sporting occasions.
Millions worldwide will tune in, with the previous three Super Bowls being the most-watched U.S. television broadcasts since the 1969 Moon landing.
Many viewers will focus on the halftime show, where Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny is set to deliver a historic performance, although U.S. President Donald Trump will not be attending.
Bad Bunny has been openly critical of Trump and his administration's immigration policies, though concerns about potential immigration raids during the weekend have been alleviated.
Can the Patriots Make NFL History?
Seattle's British coach Aden Durde reflects on reaching the Super Bowl.
Following the Kansas City Chiefs' appearance in five of the last six Super Bowls, one of the NFL's most iconic franchises has returned to the championship game.
The Patriots have reached their first Super Bowl since 2019, marking a new era after the departures of legendary quarterback Tom Brady and coach Bill Belichick.
Led by second-year quarterback Drake Maye, the Patriots will make a record-extending 12th Super Bowl appearance and aim for their seventh victory, which would surpass the Pittsburgh Steelers' record.
They will face the Seattle Seahawks in a rematch of Super Bowl 49 in 2015, where the Patriots prevented the Seahawks from securing consecutive championships.
This marks Seattle's first Super Bowl appearance since 2015 and their fourth overall, with their only championship win occurring in 2014.
Quarterback Sam Darnold, playing for his fifth team in eight years, has contributed to the Seahawks becoming narrow favorites, supported by a formidable defense led by British defensive coordinator Aden Durde, the first overseas coach to reach the Super Bowl.
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Who Is Performing the Half-Time Show?
Watch: Bad Bunny on how he's preparing for Super Bowl performance
Many of the millions watching globally will be more interested in the halftime show than the game itself.
Puerto Rican pop star Bad Bunny has been selected as this year's headliner, having previously appeared as a special guest during the 2020 halftime show featuring Shakira and Jennifer Lopez.
He will be the first solo male Latin artist to headline the halftime show and the first artist to perform entirely in Spanish.
The 31-year-old artist has been Spotify's most streamed musician in four of the past six years. In addition to music, he is an actor, has hosted Saturday Night Live, and held the WWE 24/7 Championship.
California-based rock band Green Day will perform at an anniversary ceremony before Sunday's game, and the NFL has hinted at additional surprises during halftime.
Both Bad Bunny and Green Day have expressed criticism of President Trump, and Bad Bunny's selection in September sparked opposition within right-wing media.
This controversy led conservative group Turning Point USA to plan an alternative halftime show featuring singer and Trump supporter Kid Rock.
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Will Trump Attend the Super Bowl?
Last year, Trump became the first sitting president to attend the Super Bowl, but he stated this year's west coast location is "just too far away."
Regarding the selection of Bad Bunny and Green Day, Trump commented:
"I'm anti-them. I think it's a terrible choice. All it does is sow hatred."
Bad Bunny avoided the U.S. on his current world tour due to concerns that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents might conduct raids on fans at his concerts.
There were fears of raids in the San Francisco Bay Area during the weekend, alongside potential protests following two fatalities involving ICE agents in Minneapolis.
However, NFL Chief Security Officer Cathy Lanier stated on Tuesday that no ICE operations are planned around any Super Bowl events.
She added that the Department of Homeland Security deploys various agencies to the Super Bowl, which is classified as a tier-one event, but ICE is not among them.
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Where Is the Super Bowl? Which Celebrities Will Attend?
The Super Bowl 60 game will be held at Levi's Stadium, home of the San Francisco 49ers, located 45 miles south of the Golden Gate Bridge in Santa Clara.
While San Francisco has served as the main hub during Super Bowl week, events and parties have been distributed throughout the Bay Area, beginning with Opening Night in San Jose on Monday.
Actor Jon Hamm hosted the NFL's end-of-season awards on Thursday, attended by Robert Irwin, son of Steve Irwin, who earlier brought a snake to the media center to promote the first NFL game in Melbourne later this year.
Shaquille O'Neal hosted a party on Friday, and Post Malone held a free concert. Other artists such as Olivia Dean, Shaboozey, Sting, Calvin Harris, Zach Bryan, and Teddy Swims performed at various events.
Cardi B performed on Saturday before watching her partner Stefon Diggs play for the Patriots on Sunday. Gameday performers also include Charlie Puth, Brandi Carlile, and Coco Jones.
Notable visitors include Roger Federer, Jay Z, Travis Scott, Mark Wahlberg, and Paris Saint-Germain owner Nasser Al-Khelaifi.
Wahlberg, a New England fan, will introduce the Patriots players, while actor Chris Pratt, a Seattle supporter, will introduce the Seahawks.
Live text commentary will begin at 21:30 on the website and app, with live radio coverage on BBC Radio 5 Live and . Additionally, 5 Live's preview show airs on Friday, and The Whole 10 Yards is available on .
Super Bowl Facts and Statistics
- The cheapest resale ticket available on Thursday was priced at $4,388 (£3,222).
- Last year's Super Bowl attracted a U.S. TV audience of 127.7 million viewers.
- Kendrick Lamar's halftime performance last year averaged 133.5 million viewers, the most-watched halftime show on record.
- TV commercials typically sell for about $8 million (£5.9 million) per 30-second slot, with some reaching a record $10 million.
- Americans are expected to bet a record $1.76 billion (£1.29 billion) on Super Bowl 59, according to the American Gaming Association.
- The National Chicken Council predicts 1.48 billion chicken wings will be consumed during the game.
- Super Bowl 60 is anticipated to generate over $500 million (£367 million) for the local economy, attracting more than 90,000 visitors from outside the Bay Area.
How to Follow the Super Bowl on the BBC
Super Bowl 60 will kick off on Sunday at 23:30 GMT and will be broadcast live on Channel 5, Sky Sports, and DAZN.
Live radio coverage is available on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra and , with live text updates on the website and app.
NBC will serve as the host broadcaster in the United States.
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