Super Bowl 2021: How to watch Tampa Bay v Kansas City in Australia
Feel like watching the Super Bowl but can’t figure out who you should support? Don’t worry, we’ve got you. FULL GUIDE TO SUPER BOWL LV HERE.
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Stock up on the truly awful Budweiser and the over-spicy wings and start getting that Monday morning “*cough cough* I’m sick” phone call ready for the boss – Super Bowl LV is here.
One of the biggest sporting shows on earth returns Monday morning Australian time after a season of almost empty stadiums, COVID hit rosters, and an old man throwing the ball as if he was 23 again.
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But should you be backing in that old man to win his seventh Super Bowl? Or should you be backing the young pup that’s looking to go back-to-back?
Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s Super Bowl.
What time does the Super Bowl start in Australia?
The coverage of Super Bowl LV begins at 10.30am AEDT time. That’s Melbourne, Sydney and Hobart time for those of you playing at home. It starts at 9.30am Brisbane time, 10am Adelaide time, 7.30am Perth time, and 9am Darwin time.
How can I watch the Super Bowl in Australia?
Kayo Sports will stream the match live across the nation via the ESPN coverage. You can snag a free 14-day Kayo subscription here if you want to give it a go.
Foxtel will also have the game via ESPN on channel 509.
Alternatively, Channel 7 will also be showing game. They will mostly show it on their main channel but will use 7mate in some cases.
Where is the Super Bowl being played?
Super Bowl LV doesn’t stand for Las Vegas funnily enough, with the 55th iteration of the match being played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, Florida.
Talking point – this is the first time ever that a Super Bowl team has played at their home field. Super Bowl venues are decided years in advance, for the most part being played in the warmer southern states or at indoor venues. While teams like San Francisco (1984) and Los Angeles (1979) played the Super Bowl in their home regions, the match wasn’t at their home stadium.
And who is Raymond James I hear you ask? A former legendary running back or team owner? Nope. It’s the name of the investment bank that holds the naming rights to the stadium.
Who is performing at halftime in the Super Bowl?
Brilliant Canadian artist The Weeknd will be the main show at half time, the brains behind absolute bangers like Blinding Lights and Can’t Feel My Face. The national anthem will be sung by country artist Eric Church and R&B star Jazmine Sullivan, in what is being plugged as a show of solidarity.
Who should I support in the Super Bowl?
It’s at this point I should mention that it’s a clash between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Kansas City Chiefs. For the neutrals, it’s actually a tough call for who you might want to see win.
The case for the Chiefs is pretty solid. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes is an out and out star that’s fun to watch. At just 25-years-old, Mahomes is playing for his second Super Bowl victory in just his third season as an NRL starter, and is looking to lead the first back-to-back Super Bowl winning team since Tom Brady’s New England Patriots of 2003-2004.
Mahomes has at his disposal the best tight end in the league by a country mile in Travis Kelce, and the explosive Tyreek Hill at wide receiver.
Historically, Kansas City is shooting for its third Super Bowl victory, adding to its Lombardi trophies from 1969 and 2019, with their sole loss coming in 1966 – the first Super Bowl.
Ultimately, if you want big plays and exciting moments, the Chiefs will be your team.
And Paul Rudd supports them. Everyone loves Paul Rudd.
The case for the Buccaneers is a little more complicated.
This is a team that has been a perennial battler since entering the league in 1976.
They have just one Super Bowl appearance to their name – a 2002 victory against Oakland – and until this season hadn’t won a playoff game since that 2002 win, losing their only two other playoff appearances in 2005 and 2007.
The complication comes from how you feel about their veteran quarterback Tom Brady.
On the one hand, Brady has proven himself as the greatest quarterback to ever play the game, leaving the safety of the Patriots to take on a challenge in Tampa Bay and doing it with aplomb.
While many thought he was a product of the strong New England system, his former team has dropped off the playoff radar while the man who has thrown more touchdowns than any player in history is going strong aged 43. He’s not flashy, he doesn’t take massive risks – and it works.
This will be his 10th Super Bowl appearance as he guns for his seventh Super Bowl victory.
The problem with Brady is that he’s very ... rich arrogant American.
He was a Donald Trump supporter in the early days, between his wife Gisele’s wage and his wage they could probably purchase half of the NFL, and there’s just something about the bloke that makes you cringe at times.
But if you can handle all that, backing him in to win his seventh Super Bowl (no team ... that’s right team ... has ever won more than six) is a fair reason to want to see him loft the Lombardi one more time.
Who will score the first touchdown off the game?
First of all, if you can’t afford to bet on it don’t throw your money at this market.
But if you can afford $5 and want a bit of added interest at the start of the game, backing the first touchdown scorer can add a bit of spice to those Monday morning wings.
My first advice – don’t bet on Tom Brady to score it.
It might seem like a no-brainer because he’s the TD King, but first touchdown scorer excludes the guy who throws it. It either has to be the guy that catches it or runs it in.
As an old man, it’s rare that Brady ever rushes for a TD, with just three this season, so it’s not impossible but his $31 odds don’t look great.
In terms of guys who might catch the ball, Kelce ($7) and Hill ($7.50) are strong bets, as is Mike Evans for the Buccaneers at $10.
The running game is a little harder to pick. The Chiefs have been splitting time between rookie Clyde Edwards-Helaire ($14) and Darrel Williams ($15), and the Buccs have mostly gone with veteran Leonard Fournette ($11) while the explosive Ronald Jones ($20) is getting looks too.
For my part, I think the first TD will be through the air, so I’m going with $5 on Evans and $5 on Buccaneers roughie Scotty Miller ($26).
Who is going to win?
The Chiefs. The Buccaneers will be stronger defensively than the Chiefs, but that Kansas City offence is too hard to go past. I’m going Kansas City 27 over the Buccaneers 16.
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Originally published as Super Bowl 2021: How to watch Tampa Bay v Kansas City in Australia
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