You've probably been there. You're hovering over a bowl of lukewarm buffalo wing dip, checking your phone every thirty seconds, wondering if you've already missed the coin toss. Or maybe you're the person who shows up two hours early and has to sit through four hours of pre-game talking heads dissecting "momentum."
If you're asking what time does the superbowl sart, the short answer is always "later than you think, but earlier than the halftime show." For the 2026 season—specifically Super Bowl LX—the magic number to remember is 6:30 PM ET.
But football is never that simple. Depending on where you are sitting (on a couch in Maine or a bar stool in Cali), that time changes.
The Official Kickoff Clock for Super Bowl LX
Mark your calendar for Sunday, February 8, 2026. The NFL isn't known for being unpredictable with its schedule. They like a tight ship. While the "start" of the broadcast begins hours earlier with enough fluff to fill a stadium, the actual leather-on-cleat kickoff at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, is slated for approximately 6:30 PM Eastern Time.
Honestly, the "approximately" is doing some heavy lifting there. Between the national anthem, the flyover, and the various ceremonies, it’s usually a few minutes after the half-hour mark.
Here is how that breaks down across the country:
- Pacific Time: 3:30 PM (Golden hour in Santa Clara!)
- Mountain Time: 4:30 PM
- Central Time: 5:30 PM
- Eastern Time: 6:30 PM
If you're tuning in from across the pond in the UK, you’re looking at a late one—11:30 PM GMT on Sunday night. Grab some coffee.
Why Santa Clara Changes the Vibe
Since the game is happening at Levi’s Stadium, the home of the San Francisco 49ers, the local start is mid-afternoon. For those of us on the East Coast, it feels like a primetime event. For folks out West, it’s a late lunch or early dinner situation. This is the second time Levi’s Stadium has hosted (the first was Super Bowl 50), and the NFL loves the infrastructure there.
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Where to Watch (And Why It’s Different This Year)
You can't just flip to any channel and hope for the best. The Super Bowl rotates between the major networks like a game of musical chairs. For 2026, NBC is the place to be.
Because NBC has the rights this year, they are leaning heavily into their streaming baby, Peacock. If you’ve ditched cable, that’s your primary destination. You can also catch it on Telemundo if you want the Spanish-language broadcast, which, let's be real, often has much better energy during the big plays.
I’ve seen a lot of people get confused about the "4K" situation. NBC usually tries to push the tech envelope, so if you have a 4K-capable device and a decent internet pipe, the Peacock stream might actually look better than the compressed signal coming through a standard cable box.
Don't forget NFL+. If you are stuck in a car or hiding at a wedding reception (bless your soul), you can stream it on your phone there. Just don't expect it to work on your big-screen TV through that specific app—they're picky about screen sizes.
The Halftime Show: When Does Bad Bunny Take the Stage?
Let's talk about the real reason half the room is watching: the Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show.
The NFL confirmed that Bad Bunny is headlining. It's a massive deal. He's the first Latin male artist to headline as a solo act, and the hype is already through the roof.
If you're only tuning in for the music, you need to time it right. A standard NFL half takes about 90 minutes of "real time," but the Super Bowl is slower because the commercials are longer and more frequent.
- Kickoff: 6:30 PM ET.
- First Half ends: Around 8:00 PM - 8:15 PM ET.
- Halftime Show starts: Usually between 8:15 PM and 8:30 PM ET.
The show itself is a whirlwind. It lasts about 12 to 15 minutes. It’s a logistical miracle how they build that stage and tear it down in the time it takes most people to wait in line for a bathroom.
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Pre-Game Ceremonies You Shouldn't Skip
Before the kickoff at 6:30 PM, there is a whole ritual.
- The National Anthem: Charlie Puth is set to sing "The Star-Spangled Banner."
- America the Beautiful: Brandi Carlile will be taking this on.
- Lift Every Voice and Sing: Performed by Coco Jones.
These usually happen in the 20-minute window leading up to kickoff. If you care about the "over/under" on the length of the National Anthem (yes, people bet on that), make sure you’re in your seat by 6:15 PM ET.
Common Misconceptions About the Start Time
I hear this every year: "The game starts at 6:00!" No, the pre-game show starts at noon. The coverage starts at 6:00. If you sit down at 6:00 PM sharp, you’re going to watch 30 minutes of analysts predicting things that won't happen.
Another weird one? People thinking the game is on a Saturday. Nope. The "Super Bowl Saturday" movement has been trying to change the world for decades, but the NFL stays loyal to Sunday. It’s basically a national holiday at this point, even if Monday morning is the least productive day in the American workforce.
Actionable Tips for Super Bowl Sunday
To make sure you don't miss a second of the action, here is a quick checklist of things to do before the 6:30 PM ET kickoff.
- Update your apps: If you're streaming on Peacock or YouTube TV, check for updates on Saturday. There is nothing worse than a "Mandatory Update" bar crawling across your screen while the teams are lining up.
- Check the lag: Streaming usually lags about 30-45 seconds behind the "live" cable broadcast. If your friends are texting you "OMG!" before you see the touchdown, put your phone on "Do Not Disturb."
- Sync your snacks: Aim to have the hot food ready by 6:15 PM. You want that first wing in hand when the coin is in the air.
- Map the "Mute" button: The commercials are great, but the post-play analysis can get repetitive. Be ready to toggle the sound during the lulls.
Make sure your TV is tuned to NBC or your Peacock app is logged in by 6:00 PM ET to catch the intros. Once the game starts, expect it to run until at least 10:00 PM or 10:30 PM ET, assuming we don't head into overtime like that wild Falcons-Patriots game years ago.
Keep your eye on the clock. 6:30 PM ET is the target. Everything else is just noise.