One of the biggest sporting events of the year, Super Bowl LIV, kicks off today, February 2. The NFC champion San Francisco 49ers will take on their AFC counterparts in the Kansas City Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes, the electrifying young quarterback who has led the Chiefs to the championship game.
This year, there are more ways to watch the game than ever, including a brand new option to see all the action in eye-popping 4K with HDR. As these squads prepare to square off, here’s how to watch the action.
Cable or satellite, potentially in 4K HDR
Date: Sunday, February 2
Time: 3:30 p.m. PT/6:30 p.m. ET
Where: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, Florida
Teams: San Francisco 49ers vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Fox Sports recently announced that its Super Bowl LIV broadcast will be delivered as a 4K HDR signal to pay-TV providers DirecTV, Dish Network, Comcast Xfinity X1, Altice Optimum and Verizon Fios. If you subscribe to one of these providers and have a subscription tier that provides access to 4K-capable channels, you’ll be able to catch the game in the incredible picture quality. One quick point to note: According to Fox, the broadcast will be natively produced in 1080p HDR, then upscaled to 4K HDR.
To experience the upgraded picture quality, you’ll need a 4K HDR TV, of course. If you’re in the market for a new set for the game, you’re in luck. There’s plenty of 4K TVs under $500 currently available, just in time for the Super Bowl, and we’ve also lined up our favorite Super Bowl TV deals to help you save the most cash on a new set.
Fox has confirmed that, consistent with recent years, cable authentication won’t be required for streaming the Super Bowl through its apps.
4K with Fox Sports Apps
Fox also confirmed that the Fox Sports, Fox Now, and FuboTV apps will carry the game in 4K HDR. If you’re using these apps via a connected streaming device, however, you’ll need to make sure that the device is 4K capable in order to take full advantage of the broadcast. Fox said that Amazon Fire TV 4K devices will provide 4K HDR, while the Apple TV 4K will have 4K with SDR (standard dynamic range).
Thanks to a last-minute deal hammered out between Fox and Roku, Roku users will also be able to watch the game live through Fox apps. Previous to the recent carriage dispute between the two companies, Roku devices were also noted on Fox’s site as among those supported for its 4K broadcasts.
Live Streaming services
Many other streaming services, including the NFL App, Yahoo Sports, Sling TV, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, PlayStation Vue, AT&T TV Now, and (as mentioned above) Fubo TV offer access to the Super Bowl in most areas. That means cord-cutters won’t have to miss a second of the pressure-packed contest — or the commercials.
One stipulation there is that many of these services vary as to which broadcast channels they carry in which regions — i.e., in some areas, they may or may not carry a Fox affiliate that will broadcast the game. As such, make sure and check on your preferred service’s website before the game so you don’t end up disappointed come kickoff.
Antenna TV
If you have an HD antenna and a Fox affiliate available in your area, you’ll be able to watch the big game. While it won’t be in 4K HDR, it will still be in sparkling HD that should satisfy most viewers. If you don’t have an antenna, we’ve hand-picked some of our favorites to help you get tuned in for one of the biggest Sundays of the year.
