How to watch the 2024 Super Bowl and Usher’s halftime show in Canada

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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.

Kickoff is at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Which teams are playing?

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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.”

Last year, Rihanna’s halftime performance became the most-watched in history with more than 121 million viewers.

Who will be performing the national anthems?

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.

Is Taylor Swift expected to attend the big game?

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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.

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).

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.

Here are the buzziest Super Bowl 2024 commercials so far

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.

With files from The Associated Press and Reuters