Pre -Game
7 am NFL Network: Pregame coverage begins a few minutes before sunrise with “NFL GameDay First” — and is followed at 9 a.m by an 8 1/2 hour edition of “NFL GameDay Morning.”
10 am ESPN: Chris Berman hosts the four-hour “Sunday NFL Countdown.”
10 am AMC: Zombie Bowl — not a Jets vs. Giants game, it’s a “Walking Dead” marathon! Ends at 6 a.m. the next day, so you’ll look like the undead at work.
Noon FOX: Already forgot how the Seahawks and the Broncos made it to the big game? Relive the 2013 season with NFL Films’ “Road to the Super Bowl.”
Noon HALLMARK: It’ll be a question for the ages: Where were you when you saw your first Kitten Bowl? The inaugural contest unfolds in Mew York City; it repeats at 3 pm, 6 pm and 9 pm.
1 pm FOX: Why do we love football? Find out on “Football America: Our Stories,” where everyday fans — along with the likes of LL Cool J Whoopi Goldberg, Joe Montana and Condoleezza Rice— offer their insights.
1:30 pm TVGN: Super Bowl’s Greatest Commercials 2014 — a look at past favorites and future talkers.
2 pm FOX: Pregame coverage hosted by Terry Bradshaw and Curt Menefee, Howie Long, Jimmy Johnson and ex-Giant Michael Strahan. Included in the mix is an interview by Bill O’Reilly with President Obama at 4:30 pm.
3 pm ANIMAL: Has it been 10 years already? Puppy Bowl X, and it runs until 5 am.
6 pm FOX: Time to break out that lucky Brian Bosworth jersey — the kickoff show begins.
6 p.m. NAT GEO WILD: If you’re up to your gills with football, there’s the inaugural Fish Bowl, featuring a goldfish named Goldie.
First Quarter
Game is on FOX
6:20 pm: Wait, there’s a horse on the field? That’s Thunder II, the Broncos 900-lb mascot who was flown out for the game and will be leading the team onto the field. The Arabian gelding took over for Thunder I, who retired in 2004, and died in 2009. Thunder II is just a stage name — his real name is Winter Solstyce.
6:25: Soprano Renee Fleming sings the national anthem, the first ever opera singer to do so. Baseball fans might recognize “the people’s diva” from the 2003 World Series, when the four time Grammy-winner belted out “The Star-Spangled Banner” at Yankee Stadium. Fleming, who’ll be wearing a Vera Wang dress, sings in front of the New Jersey Symphony and will be accompanied by top military singers. Queen Latifah will belt out “America the Beautiful.”
6:28: Coin toss. New York football legends Phil Simms and Joe Namath will be on hand for the ceremonial toss. In 47 Super Bowls, it’s been heads by a nose — 24-23.
6:30: Joe Buck and Troy Aikman call the action for Super Bowl XLVIII; Pam Oliver and Erin “The Richard Sherman Whisperer” Andrews reporting from the sidelines. (Buck’s fiancée, by the way, is former Broncos cheerleader Michelle Beisner, who works for NFL Network).
Over 100 million viewers expected to tune in worldwide. If it snows, watch for MetLife Stadium’s shovel-wielding army of 1,600 workers. Those large fuzzy animals on opposite sidelines are team mascots Blitz the Seahawk and Miles the Bronco. Yes, the Broncos have two mascots.
First quarter commercials:
Bud Light: The game’s first commercial will be “So Cool,” a 30-second spot by Anheuser-Busch InBev to debut Bud Light’s reclosable aluminum bottle. It’s the first of three Bud Light ads, which will feature Don Cheadle, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and comedian Reggie Watts. Two Budweiser spots also slotted, including the unbearably cute “Puppy Love” which features a plucky pup determined to bond with a Clydsdale. “Hero’s Welcome,” salutes soldiers returning home from Afghanistan.
Cheerio’s: Cereal is used as a teaching tool for a cute girl who’s about to become a big sister — and a puppy owner too, she hopes — in “Gracie.” The ad reprises Cheerio’s multiracial family, last seen in the ad “Just Checking.”
Bank of America: U2 performs a new song called “Invisible” to announced a partnership between the mega-bank, the Irish rockers, and an organization Bono co-founded called RED, which fights disease on a global scale. The song will be free on iTunes during the game and for the next 24 hours. The bank will donate $1 for every download during that time, up to $2 million.
Chevrolet: A cowboy gives a bull the ride of his life in “Romance,” one of two ads the car maker will air in the first half. The second won’t be revealed until airtime.
Hyundai: In “Dad’s Sixth Sense,” a father saves his son from all manner of mishap until he passes the torch to a Hyundai Genesis.
GoDaddy: A real person quits her real job to start her own business — and her boss will find out with the rest of the world, when the ad airs. John Turturro introduces her.
Second Quarter
Carmax: A customer’s patronage is rewarded with dramatic applause in “Slow Clap” — look for “Rudy” star Sean Astin by the side of the road.
Coca-Cola: In “Going all the Way,” a young football player makes it from the sandlot — to Lambeau Field, all in one play. Another spot in second half.
H&M: Pass the remote dear, I want to buy David Beckham’s underwear! The first ever shopping-enabled ad will let viewers buy Beckham’s Bodywear line sold exclusively at H&M by using their boob tubes. One hitch, the boxes must be 2012 or 2013 Samsung Smart TVs connected to the Internet.
Turbotax: The “Year of you” re-imagines tax prep as an occasion not to pull your hair out — but to reflect on your totally awesome year.
Volkswagen: Little known fact: German engineers sprout wings every time a VW hits 100,000 miles. So explains dad to incredulous daughter in “Wings.”
Pistacios: Funnyman Stephen Colbert stars in two ads for the nuts this quarter.
Weathertech: Manufacturing in the USA is hailed by the car floor mat maker in “You Can’t Do That.”
T Mobile: So that’s what he’s doing now! Tim Tebow shows how much a free agent can accomplish in “No Contract, No Worries,” and in the third quarter, “Still No Contract.”
Toyota: Terry Crews gets more than he bargained for when he offers help to the passengers of an abandoned school bus in “Joyride.” Turns out, they’re Muppets! Hilarity ensues; Kermit keeps his cool.
Pepsi: In “Soundcheck NYC,” the Big Apple is tuned-up in preparation for the halftime show.
Halftime
Roughly 8 pm: Bruno Mars takes the stage with an assist from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, who will auction off the drum set used in their performance at NFL Auction to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Mars said he doesn’t feel any pressure to perform for over 110 million viewers. “I ain’t scared if that’s what you think,” said Mars, who’s been tight-lipped about his set list.
Third Quarter
Audi: Things run amok when a Doberman is mixed with a Chihuahua in “Doberhuahua.” Crooner Sarah McLachlan makes a plea to help the misunderstood creatures. “Compromise scares us too,” says the automaker.
AXE: Soldiers and despots — including a Kim Jong-Un lookalike — show a cuddly side in “Make Love, Not War” for body spray maker’s new Axe Peace.
Beats Music: Ellen Degeneres gets jiggy with it as Goldilocks in a Three Bears send up touting a new music app service.
Butterfinger: Let the peanut butter cup wars begin! Nestle introduces the new Butterfinger Peanut Butter Cups, which aims to take on Reese’s.
Chobani: The fattest bear you will ever see shows some manners in “Ransacked,” the yogurt maker’s first Super Bowl ad.
Intuit: Software company features a winner ad for the winner of its Small Business Big Game contest. Finalists include egg company Locally Laid; Barley Labs, a pet food company; Dairy Poop, a compost company; and toymaker GoldieBlox.
Jaguar: English actors Ben Kingsley, Mark Strong and Tom Hiddleston explain why Brits make such good villains in “Rendezvous.” The spot was directed by “The King’s Speech” director Tom Hooper.
Kia: Laurence Fishburne plays Morpheus from “The Matrix” in “The Truth.” He’s a valet now, offering insight into luxury — provided the correct set of keys are chosen. Yes, the woman in the red dress is in the program.
Fourth Quarter
Oikos: It’s a “Full House” reunion in “The Spill,” with Jesse — John Stamos — trying to woo a hottie using the power of Greek yogurt.
Sodastream: Scarlett Johansson makes the pitch for the home soda-making machine maker. It’s first ad, which called out Coke and Pepsi by name, was nixed by FOX.
Hyundai: The smooth moves of “The Big Bang Theory’s Johnny Galecki are rebuffed at every turn in “Nice.” Comedian Richard Lewis makes a backseat cameo.
GoDADDY: In “Body Builders,” Danica Patrick bulks up and joins a herd of juiceheads running to a tanning salon that uses GoDaddy to find customers. Unclear if they completed the trifecta by doing their laundry afterwards.
After the game
Around 10 p.m. FOX: Super Bowl Post Game. The sterling silver Lombardi trophy is hoisted — it weighs quite about seven times more than a pigskin, which comes tips the scales at about 15 ounces. Be sure to turn up the volume if the Seahawks win and Erin Andrews finds Richard Sherman.
10:30 pm ESPN: More postgame coverage/second-guessing on “NFL Primetime.”
11:30 pm ESPN: And even more, on “SportsCenter.” Don’t fret, the NFL draft is only about three months away!