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The Morning After: Super Bowl and a Hummer EV
Hey, good morning! You look fabulous. Before we get stuck in, I'm obsessed with The Rock's Super Bowl intros. You should be, too. It's like American Gladiators meets America's Next Top Model meets some other show with "America" in the title. Just watch for yourself. But back to the main show. Now, I tried to watch the whole thing this year. I really did. I got as far as the half-time show. Congratulations to the Kansas City Chiefs and the NFL for all the millions of dollars they made from advertisers. (Some of them made news on Engadget over the weekend.) For anyone outside the US, you won't get any of the big-budget ads. In the UK, I got the same sad run of McDonald's, Subway and uninspirational car ads -- so I had to go to YouTube to watch the ones the internet is talking about. Thus, YouTube wins, too -- there's a reason it sponsored a quick segment just before the show kicked off -- and paid The Rock to present it. Business is, again, the biggest winner at the Super Bowl. -Mat (Read in browser)
How to watch the Super Bowl in 2020
Super Bowl LIV will occur this Sunday, and it'll be a match between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs. NFL's biggest event of the year is a television phenomenon that goes beyond just sports, whether it's the million-dollar commercials, the half-time concert or just an excuse to hang out with your buddies and chow down on chicken wings. It used to be that the only way to watch it was to either have a cable or satellite subscription, or venture out to your local sports bar. Fortunately, that's not the case anymore. You have plenty of streaming choices too -- some of them even offer 4K resolutions.
Play the arcade classic 'Tecmo Bowl' on PS4 and Switch tomorrow
Ahead of Super Bowl LIV on Sunday, you'll be able to replay the original 1987 release of Tecmo Bowl when it comes out on PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch tomorrow. Not to be confused with the NES version most people associate with the game, the $8 Arcade Archives rerelease that's making its way to the PlayStation Store and eShop this week features a mere two teams -- the Wildcats and Bulldogs -- and no licensed players. So, no, you can't use Bo Jackson to demolish your friends and family members.
Super Bowl LIII breaks streaming records despite TV viewership slump
Super Bowl LIII may have been the lowest-scoring of all time but its streaming numbers were higher than ever. Viewers tuned into the action across 7.5 million devices, up 20 percent from 2018, and consumed more than 560 million minutes of live game coverage, an increase of 19 percent from last year, according to CBS. The average minute audience of 2.6 million also witnessed a year-over-year spike of 31 percent.
Hulu teams with world record Instagram egg on a mental health ad
The world-record Instagram egg, now with 10 million followers and liked over 52 million times, has used its fame for good. After teaming with Hulu, it appeared in a Super Bowl ad promoting mental health awareness, particularly when it comes to (yep) social media. "Recently I've started to crack... the pressure of social media is getting to me," the caption reads as the egg breaks apart. "If you're struggling, talk to someone." The egg is then made whole again, with a link to Mental Health America's website.
Nike turns its SNKRS app into a pop-up shop for sneakerheads
With Super Bowl 53 getting ready to kick off in Atlanta, brands are seeing dollar signs. And you know Nike, given its status as a sportswear giant, has to go all out for the event. That's why the company opened a pop-up shop in Atlanta, designed to cater exclusively to users of its SNKRS app. The temporary store, which will be open through the end of March, is the sportswear giant's latest effort to seamlessly merge its digital and physical shopping experiences.
Uber will give free rides in the city that loses the Super Bowl
There's good news and bad news for people who will spend Sunday watching their favorite teams play in the Super Bowl. The good news is you can get a free ride home from Uber after the game. The bad news is if you're getting that free ride, it means your team lost. The ride-hailing service is offering Uber Rewards members in Los Angeles or Boston a free lift after the game, but only the losing city will be eligible.
Gaming accessibility is the star of Microsoft's Super Bowl ad
Microsoft has placed more focus on accessibility as of late, an effort that has extended into gaming, particularly with last year's release of the Xbox Adaptive Controller for Xbox One and PC. Now, the controller is taking center stage in a Super Bowl ad that highlights some of the ways it helps gamers with mobility limitations. During Sunday's game, CBS will air a 60-second version of the charming "We All Win" clip.
How to watch the Super Bowl: A cord-cutter’s guide
We all know you don't have to be a fan of American football to watch the Super Bowl. The NFL's Big Game, which this year will be played between the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams, goes beyond the sport. Even if you don't like who's playing (we're looking at you, Tom Brady), the Super Bowl is the perfect excuse to get together with friends and enjoy a day full of seven-layer dip, chicken wings and, of course, booze. Thankfully, in 2019, the NFL is making it easy for everyone in the US to watch Super Bowl LIII, even if you don't have a cable or satellite account.
What's on TV: Super Bowl LIII, 'Kingdom Hearts' and 'Velvet Buzzsaw'
And we're back! After a few weeks off we're catching up with what's coming to your TV screens this week, including the Super Bowl and Netflix's art-world thriller Velvet Buzzsaw. In gaming, Kingdom Hearts III is the biggest release this week, and ESPN's 30 for 30 focusing on Deion Sanders airs Thursday night. Look after the break to check out each day's highlights, including trailers and let us know what you think (or what we missed).
LG sale slashes OLED TV prices by up to $1,000
It's that special time of year for TV makers -- that is, the desperate scramble to sell TVs to Super Bowl viewers looking for an upgrade. And LG is determined to capitalize on that football fandom. The company has launched a sale that cuts the prices on its B8 series OLED TVs from now through February 2nd. The 55-inch model is now down to $1,500, a sharp $800 drop versus the original $2,300 sticker price. And if you crave a bigger picture, the 65-inch version is down a full $1,000 to $2,300. Neither is exactly cheap, but they're far more alluring if you've been waiting for an excuse to indulge in OLED's high contrast ratios and fast response times.
CBS Super Bowl coverage features augmented reality and 8K
CBS has big, high-tech plans for its Super Bowl LIII coverage this February. To start with, it's using 14 cameras, including aerial systems, to create live virtual graphic elements designed to blend into the background. The network promises to show you those AR graphics up close and from various angles -- even if you're just watching on TV -- by using wireless handheld cameras that can track them on the field.
Microsoft executive allegedly attempted to embezzle $1.5 million
Jeff Tran, Microsoft's former director of sports marketing and alliances, was charged with five counts of wire fraud this week for allegedly trying to embezzle $1.5 million from his former employer. He's also accused of stealing and selling more than 60 Super Bowl tickets belonging to Microsoft, pocketing over $200,000 in the process.
CBS will stream Super Bowl LIII on mobile devices without a sign-in
CBS is determined to make the most of the NFL's loosened streaming rules. The broadcaster has revealed its streaming plans for Super Bowl LIII, and you'll finally have the option to watch on mobile devices without a sign-in through CBS Sports' website and mobile apps. You'll also have mobile access through authenticated apps from CBS' cable, satellite, telecom and streaming TV partners. To no one's surprise, you can watch through All Access on mobile if you're a subscriber.
Verizon streamed Super Bowl LII in VR over 5G
A crowd of more than 67,000 people watched the Philadelphia Eagles trounce the New England Patriots last Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, while around 103 million viewers across the country did the same on their television sets. At the same time, a small group of Verizon employees in New York City were viewing the game in a different way: through VR. And they were able to do so entirely over a 5G connection.
'Westworld' season two trailer shows us what comes next, and when
While Netflix dropped a day-and-date trailer for its Cloverfield flick, HBO has a more traditional reveal for season two of Westworld. Its Super Bowl spot (the first one HBO has ever aired for a specific series) showed off the network's "most-watched freshman series ever" with some new scenes that were interesting without revealing too much about where the show will go. We won't go too deep into the specifics for those who haven't checked out the first season yet, but at least now the vision of robots running amok includes massive mechanical bulls.
Netflix's 'Cloverfield' sequel starts streaming tonight
Last year Netflix's Super Bowl ad focused on a season of Stranger Things we still had months to wait for, but this year things are different. The streaming company dropped a surprise 30-second teaser for The Cloverfield Paradox, a sequel to the 2008 monster movie that will be available for viewing worldwide tonight, right after the game. As Deadline notes, the Paramount/J.J. Abrams flick had been planned for a theatrical release this weekend, but reports that this agreement with Netflix made the $45 million movie "immediately profitable." Also, on Twitter Netflix revealed a promotional deal that will send snacks directly to viewers in New York, San Francisco, LA and Chicago, in time for the movie's debut after the game. The Cloverfield Paradox is directed by Julius Onah (The Girl is in Trouble), with stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Belle, Beyond the Lights, A Wrinkle in Time) and David Oyelowo (Selma, Queen of Katwe) taking the top credits. Netflix pushed the bar with the release of Bright in December, but this is an all-new mark for its original movie efforts. While Cloverfield may not be as expensive as that Will Smith movie, it's arriving without any of the usual highlights, reviews or press tours. Just one advertisement on the day of its worldwide release. How successful will it be? Since Netflix doesn't release exact numbers that will likely be up to others like Nielsen to estimate, but as the company splashes its $8 billion content budget around we don't expect that this will be the last surprise up its sleeve. Netflix: In the near future, a group of international astronauts on a space station are working to solve a massive energy crisis on Earth. The experimental technology aboard the station has an unexpected result, leaving the team isolated and fighting for their survival. Update: And there it is. As promised, once the game ended, the streaming started. Let us know what you think of this latest addition to the Cloverfield series.
TiVo flips 'SkipMode' around for Super Bowl ad fans
A few years ago TiVo rolled out SkipMode for its DVRs that would allow viewers to jump past ads (on certain prime-time programs) with the press of a button. This year, for Super Bowl LII it's flipping the technology around with GameSkip that works favor of people who watch the game just to see all of those (incredibly expensive) advertisements. Sure, you can usually see the best ones on YouTube either before the game or immediately after they are, but for dedicated fans of everything except Eagles vs. Patriots, it could be an easy way to catch up.
Alexa will stay calm during Amazon's Super Bowl ad
Given that Amazon's latest Super Bowl ad mentions Alexa no less than 10 times, that begs a question: will you have to unplug your Echo speaker to avoid Burger King levels of chaos as it responds to every single utterance? Thankfully, the answer is "no." Amazon has confirmed that it'll use acoustic fingerprinting techniques to prevent Alexa-equipped devices from going into a tizzy during the 90-second commercial. Your gadgets will know they're listening to the ad, not someone in your living room, and will ignore the requests.
Technology can’t save football players' brains
Tregg Duerson was 25 years old when his father committed suicide in 2011. A former defensive back for the Chicago Bears, New York Giants and Phoenix Cardinals, David "Dave" Duerson made a career out of being one of the most feared tacklers during his 11-year stint in the National Football League. His skill set helped him win two Super Bowl championship rings, one with the Bears in 1985 and another with the Giants in 1990, cementing his legacy as one of the NFL's all-time greats. Along the way, he was also selected to the Pro Bowl, a postseason game that rewards the league's best players, four consecutive times from 1985 to 1988. Duerson had the NFL career most players can only dream of, but it ultimately cost him his life.
