Allegiant Stadium during NFL football Super Bowl 58 opening night on Feb. 5 in Las Vegas. The San Francisco 49ers face the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 58 on Sunday.Adam Hunger/The Associated Press
The stage is set for the 58th Super Bowl, just days away, as the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers get ready to battle it out for the Vince Lombardi Trophy in Las Vegas. And if football isn’t your only reason for watching, Usher will be taking centre field as the headliner of this year’s halftime show.
Here’s what you need to know about how to watch Sunday’s game, the teams that are playing and whether Taylor Swift is expected to make an appearance to cheer on boyfriend Travis Kelce.
When and where is the Super Bowl?
Super Bowl 58 will be held on Sunday, Feb. 11 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, marking the first time the venue has hosted a Super Bowl. This is also the first time in NFL history that a Super Bowl will be played in the state of Nevada.
Brock Purdy of the San Francisco 49ers (L) and Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs meet on stage during Super Bowl LVIII Opening Night at Allegiant Stadium on Feb. 5.Chris Unger/Getty Images
Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers will battle it out for the Vince Lombardi trophy – in a rematch of Super Bowl 54 in 2020.
The Kansas City Chiefs have made three trips to the Super Bowl in four years from 2020 to 2023, winning last year’s trophy. This year, the team could become back-to-back champions for the first time in their history. If they win, they’d be the first team in 19 years to win back-to-back Super Bowls.
Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes has become the face of the league, a record-breaking crossover star who is chasing his third Super Bowl ring. Coach Andy Reid has evolved into their mustachioed father figure, and a shoo-in for the Pro Football Hall of Fame as he climbs the coaching career wins list. And then there’s tight end Travis Kelce, who happens to be dating pop icon Taylor Swift.
As for the San Francisco 49ers, coach Kyle Shanahan is looking for his first ever Super Bowl ring after seven years in charge. Meanwhile, quarterback Brock Purdy has risen from underdog status, shedding the nickname of “Mr. Irrelevant” after being the last pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. He has been the only rookie quarterback to beat a team led by Tom Brady in a starting debut.
Who’s performing at the Super Bowl halftime show?
Usher will headline this year’s halftime show, which is hosted by Apple Music. It won’t be his first time performing at the Super Bowl though. He previously made a guest appearance with headliner Black Eyed Peas during the 2011 Super Bowl.
The R&B singer has not released his setlist for Sunday’s 13-minute concert, or said whether he will have any special guest appearances. But he recently told Good Morning America that the halftime show will pay tribute to the Black artists who paved the way before him.
“I think about what our country has kind of represented for Black artists, you know, having to at some point go through kitchens to even be able to perform for an audience, but they had to leave back through that same door, fear for their lives as they went to the next state to do the same thing,” Usher said. “So I’m coming through the front door with this one.”
Country music singer Reba McEntire will perform the U.S. national anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner, ahead of the big game. Post Malone will also perform at the pre-show, singing America The Beautiful. Grammy-winning artist Andra Day will sing Lift Every Voice and Sing, also known as the Black national anthem.
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift walk together after an AFC Championship NFL football game between the Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens on Jan. 28 in Baltimore.Julio Cortez/The Associated Press
Taylor Swift is scheduled to do four shows in Tokyo this week as part of The Eras Tour, but is expected to make it to Las Vegas to cheer on boyfriend Travis Kelce and his team, the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Japanese Embassy in Washington sent a message on X, formerly Twitter, alluding to her hit songs in bold letters. “Despite the 12-hour flight and 17-hour time difference, the Embassy can confidently Speak Now to say that if she departs Tokyo in the evening after her concert, she should comfortably arrive in Las Vegas before the Super Bowl begins,” it said.
???????? Statement from the Embassy of Japan on Taylor Swift’s Reported Travel from Japan to the United States ✈️???? Are you ready for it? pic.twitter.com/wFKadehTJk
Taylor Swift is also expected to be the subject of many bets made during the Super Bowl evening. Sport betting sites in Ontario are allowing fans to place “proposition bets” – for the first time since sports betting was legalized in the province in 2022 – on things such as how many times she’ll show up on TV during the game or if Travis Kelce will propose to her on the field after the game.
These sorts of bets, however, aren’t allowed in the United States since rules vary from state to state. The general rule is that wagering is limited to what happens on the field (i.e. game results, player stats and more).
Super Bowl week opened on Monday (February 5) night with a sensory-overload spectacle at the Las Vegas Allegiant Stadium, and a sprinkling of a music superstar.
Reuters
Where can I stream or watch the Super Bowl in Canada?
You can watch this year’s Super Bowl on either CTV or TSN in Canada. CTV’s pregame coverage begins at noon ET and the game coverage starts at 6 p.m. ET. You can also stream the game on CTV.ca, TSN+ or the CTV app, as well as on DAZN.
Canadians with an over-the-air antenna who live near the Canada-U.S. border may also be able to pick up the game broadcast on Buffalo’s WIVB-TV channel, an affiliate of CBS – and potentially watch all of the American Super Bowl commercials.
Where can I watch this year’s star-studded commercials?
The highly anticipated commercials that debut during the Super Bowl every year, often featuring celebrities, won’t be included in Canadian broadcasts. This has been the case since a 2019 Supreme Court ruling blocked U.S. ads from being played in Canada. The ruling, according to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, also stated that U.S. ads may be aired only if the company buys the advertising time on Canadian channels.
That being said, Canadians can still catch the full list of flashy, expensive commercials online. Most advertisers release their ads in the days ahead of the big game on YouTube or their social media pages to get the most publicity for their spots. Advertisers from Doritos to Volkswagen are paying as much as US$7-million for a 30-second spot during this year’s game.
In the teaser trailers released so far, Kris Jenner takes viewers back to the mid-2000s and her decision to join the reality television realm for Oreo, Post Malone continues his role as the face of Bud Light, Lionel Messi tries to impress Ted Lasso’s Jason Sudeikis for Michelob, Jenna Ortega will reveal a spicy Dinamita chip for Doritos, and Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, David and Victoria Beckham all star in an “unforgettable” ad for Uber Eats.
DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Red Wings signed forward Lucas Raymond to an eight-year, $64.6 million contract Monday, completing a deal with one of their best young players less than 72 hours before training camp begins.
Raymond will count $8.075 million against the salary cap through 2032. The 22-year-old was a restricted free agent without a contract for the upcoming NHL season and was coming off setting career highs with 31 goals, 41 assists and 72 points.
The Red Wings have another one of those in defenceman Moritz Seider, who won the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year in 2021-22.
Detroit is looking to end an eight-year playoff drought dating to the Original Six franchise’s last appearance in 2016.
Raymond, a Swede who was the fourth pick in 2020, has 174 points in 238 games since breaking into the league.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Kirk Cousins led a flawless last-minute drive for Atlanta and connected with Drake London for a 7-yard touchdown with 34 seconds left to give the Falcons a 22-21 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night.
Saquon Barkley dropped a short pass that stopped the clock with 1:46 left and forced the Eagles to settle for a field goal instead of a game-sealing first down. That was plenty of time for Cousins — especially against an Eagles defense playing soft coverage with a nonexistent pass rush.
The 36-year-old veteran, playing his second game since tearing his Achilles tendon last Oct. 29 while playing for Minnesota, shook off an uneven effort and hit Darnell Mooney for 21 and 26 yards on consecutive plays during the decisive drive.
Cousins found London on a short pass to his right for the tying score, and Younghoe Koo put Atlanta (1-1) on top with a 48-yard extra point after London was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct. The go-ahead drive took just 65 seconds.
Jalen Hurts had his final pass intercepted by Jessie Bates III to seal Atlanta’s win and set off a wild celebration on the sideline.
The Eagles (1-1) went ahead on Hurts’ 1-yard tush push score with 6:47 left. Barkley finished with 95 yards on 22 carries in his home debut for Philadelphia, but his drop provided the Falcons with some hope.
And then Cousins started playing like the QB Atlanta thought it was getting when it signed him to a four-year, $180 million contract.
Cousins finished 20 of 29 for 241 yards and two touchdowns. Atlanta’s first TD was a 41-yarder from Cousins to Mooney, who finished with three catches for 88 yards.
Hurts was 23 of 30 for 183 yards, including a touchdown pass to DeVonta Smith. With No. 1 receiver A.J. Brown out with a hamstring injury, Smith led the Eagles with seven catches for 76 yards and a score.
Jake Elliott kicked two field goals for the Eagles. His 28-yarder with 1:39 left made it 21-15.
Atlanta kept stalling in the red zone, getting three field goals from Koo, before Cousins fired over the middle to Mooney, who shook loose from C.J. Gardner-Johnson and left him on the turf before he somersaulted into the end zone with 1:21 left in the third quarter for a 15-10 lead. Cousins failed on the 2-point conversion pass.
Hurts had some juice in his step during a second-quarter TD drive, running with abandon for big plays much like he did in the 2022 season. He spiked the ball in a rare, raw show of emotion on a 23-yard run, earning a delay-of-game penalty. He shrugged off the 5-yard setback and scrambled for 9 yards and 15 yards to move the Eagles to Atlanta’s 19.
With comedian Shane Gillis and actor Bradley Cooper among the fans cheering on the Eagles, Hurts connected with Smith in the back of the end zone for a 7-yard TD that made it 7-3.
Under new defensive coordinator Vince Fangio, the Eagles have established an early knack for allowing long drives that end with three points instead of seven. Koo kicked field goals of 39, 22 and 34 yards, the last one enough for a 9-7 lead in the third quarter. In their opener, the Eagles held the Packers to just three field goals when they drove inside the 20.
Questionable call
Rather than take a chip-shot field goal from Elliott, the Eagles’ fourth-and-4 gamble at Atlanta’s 9-yard line in the first quarter failed when Hurts threw an incomplete pass.
Elliott kicked a 29-yarder with 4:31 left in the third quarter for a 10-9 lead.
Running wild
Bijan Robinson ran for 97 yards for the Falcons. The Eagles stuffed him late on fourth-and-1 at the Atlanta 39.
Barkley was quiet until the go-ahead drive, a week after he rushed for 109 yards and scored three touchdowns against Green Bay. Eagles fans booed when the opening drive of the game ended without Barkley touching the ball. They went wild when he had consecutive 9-yard runs to open the second drive. Barkley had 40 yards rushing in the first half.
Foles honored
Former Eagles QB Nick Foles, who led the franchise to its only Super Bowl title, served as an honorary captain and led the crowd in a rendition of “Fly, Eagles, Fly.”
Injuries
The Falcons played without LB Nate Landman (calf, quad).
Up next
Atlanta hosts Super Bowl champion Kansas City on Sunday.
TORONTO – Singles star Leylah Fernandez and doubles specialist Gabriela Dabrowski will anchor Canada’s five-player lineup when the team tries to defend its Billie Jean King Cup title in mid-November.
The 26th-ranked Fernandez, the 2021 U.S. Open finalist from Laval, Que., is the lone Canadian in the top 100 of the WTA Tour’s singles rankings.
Dabrowski, from Ottawa, is ranked fourth on the doubles list. The 2023 U.S. Open women’s doubles champion won mixed doubles bronze with Felix Auger-Aliassime at the recent Paris Olympics.
Marina Stakusic of Mississauga, Ont., returns after a breakout performance last year, capped by her singles win in Canada’s 2-0 victory over Italy in the final. Vancouver’s Rebecca Marino is also back and Bianca Andreescu, the 2019 U.S. Open champion from Mississauga, Ont., returns to the squad for the first time since 2022.
“Winning the Billie Jean King Cup in 2023 was a dream come true for us, and not only that, but I feel like we made a statement to the world about the strength of this nation when it comes to tennis,” Canada captain Heidi El Tabakh said Monday in a release. “Once again, we have a very strong team this year with Bianca joining Leylah, Gaby, Rebecca and Marina, making it an extremely powerful team that is more than capable of going all the way.
“At the end of the day, our goal is to make Canada proud, and we’ll do our best to bring the same level of effort and excitement that we had in last year’s finals.”
Fernandez, who beat Jasmine Paolini to clinch Canada’s first-ever title at the competition, is ranked No. 42 in doubles.
Canada, which received an automatic berth as defending champion, will play the winner of the first-round tie between Great Britain and Germany on Nov. 17 at Malaga’s Martin Carpena Arena.
Australia, Italy and wild-card entry Czechia also received first-round byes. The tournament, which continues through Nov. 20, also includes host Spain, Slovakia, the United States, Poland, Japan and Romania.
Stakusic is up 27 spots to No. 128 in the latest world singles rankings. Marino is at No. 134 and Andreescu, the 2019 U.S. Open champion, is ranked 167th.
Canada will look to become the first team since Czechia in 2016 to successfully defend its Billie Jean King Cup title.
Malaga will also host the Nov. 19-24 Davis Cup Final 8. The Canadian men qualified over the weekend with a 2-1 victory over Great Britain in Manchester.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 16, 2024.
