The big day is here. One of the most anticipated sporting events around the world gets under way at the Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on Sunday.
Carolina Panthers, the NFC (National Football Conference) winners of 2015, take on Denver Broncos, the AFC (American Football Conference) winners of 2015, in what is set to be an enthraling encounter that will leave NFL (National Football League) fans asking for more.
To be watched by millions around the world, the Super Bowl 50 has all it takes to be a grand event. It will not only be about Lady Gaga's US National Anthem rendition at the start or Coldplay joining Beyonce in the Super Bowl 50 halftime show. There are many other reasons why the Super Bowl this year can be more important than ever.
Two big names — Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers and Peyton Manning of the Denver Broncos — will be in action on Sunday. It's not just about the brilliance of the two quarter-backs that will be celebrated, but also their age that will be talked about.
Newton, who achieved a league record of 45 total touchdowns (35 passing, 10 rushing) this year, is 26, while Manning, who has already led two different teams — Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos — in multiple Super Bowls over the years, is the oldest player at 39. This is the largest age gap in Super Bowl history between the starting quarterbacks.
Apart from seeing two of the best quarterbacks in NFL currently being pitted against each other, Super Bowl 50 will also be about a mouthwatering battle between two teams with the most contrasting styles. While the Panthers have the best offence in the NFC, the Broncos are revered for having the best defence in the AFC.
In a nutshell, there are reasons more than one as to why the average ticket price for the Super Bowl 50 has been at around $5,000. "This year's Super Bowl is on pace to not only be the most expensive Super Bowl, but the most expensive event, topping things like the Mayweather-Pacquiao boxing match and The Masters," Chris Leyden, an analyst with ticket price tracker SeatGeek, was quoted by CNN Money as saying.
Newton, who achieved a career-best quarterback rating of 99.4, definitely remains the man of the moment for Carolina Panthers, but Denver Broncos' defence, marshalled by cornerback Chris Harris Jr, linebacker Von Miller and defensive end Derek Wolfe, will be hard to break through.
"It's situational football now, from here on out. It's no holds barred," Newton was quoted by ESPN as saying. There really is no next game. The approach has to be we're willing to do things we need to do.''
For Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller, it is all about business on the day. "I am not betting on the game or anything like that. I am just going out there and I am just playing," Miller told ESPN. "I really don't pay attention to all that stuff [whatever is written in the newspapers about the team being underdogs in the Super Bowl 50]. We have a huge opportunity. Anything can happen on Sunday."
The winners get to lift the Vince Lombardi Trophy, as well as an 18-karat gold-plated "50" trophy.
Where to watch live
Super Bowl 50: Carolina Panthers vs Denver Broncos is scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. EST (5 a.m. IST Monday, 11:30 p.m. GMT) on Sunday, 7 February.
In India, the American Football action can be watched on Sony ESPN.
In the United States, the two TV broadcast destinations remain CBS and ESPN Deportes (Spanish). The online streaming destination remains CBS Sports Live. The game can also be watched via the CBS Sports app, but only if you have an Apple TV, Android TV, or Roku box.
Current-gen Xbox users can also download the CBS Sports app from the Xbox One Store to stream the game.
In Canada, CTV will broadcast the game live.
In the United Kingdom, the three TV broadcast destinations remain BBC 2, Sky Sports 1, and Sky Sports 3. The online streaming options remain watch BBC Two live via iPlayer and Sky Go.
In Australia, the live broadcast of the Super Bowl 50 can be caught on Seven Network.
