What to watch for at Super Bowl 59

Acrobatic catches and thumping hits are why American football fans watch the Super Bowl but for others the non-sporting spectacle is much more interesting.

We’ve selected a few things to look out for during the contest between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs, which kicks off at 23:30 GMT (18:30 EST) on Sunday, 9 February at the Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Kendrick Lamar will be the star turn during the half-time show and the unlikely ties binding David Beckham and Matt Damon will be revealed – oh, and Taylor Swift might be showing off a new ring too.

The Compton rapper will be headlining the musical interlude for a second time when he takes the stage on Sunday, during which he will be supported by SZA.

Lamar is fresh off a successful year at the Grammy Awards where he scooped five prizes, including song of the year for Not Like Us – a diss track directed at hip-hop rival Drake.

It may seem a certainty for the set list but Lamar might choose not to play it after Drake filed a lawsuit claiming defamation and harassment last month.

Will he back down or will the feud reach what might be the largest television audience in US history? Last year’s Super Bowl set the record with more than 123 million Americans tuning in.

Travis Kelce will be hoping to win his fourth Super Bowl ring and he may retire if he does – certain in the knowledge he will go down as one of the great gridiron players.

For many viewers he is better known as Taylor Swift’s boyfriend. Their relationship became public in 2023 and she joined him on the field to celebrate his team’s Super Bowl win last year.

Swifties will be keeping an eye on what happens after the final whistle, following online rumours about a proposal. Asked by journalists if such a plan was in the offing, Kelce replied rhetorically with a smile: “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

Adverts broadcast during the Super Bowl are some of the most expensive money can buy.

This year at least 10 adverts have been sold for more than £6.4m ($8m) each, reported entertainment business magazine Variety – a new record.

So companies who bought a premium spot want to ensure they make them memorable.

This year beer brand Stella Artois have recruited David Beckham to star in theirs as himself, in which he learns he has a long lost twin brother (played by Matt Damon) in the US called, er, Dave Beckham.

Another due for broadcast comes from Hellman’s mayonnaise that recreates the orgasm scene in the deli from When Harry Met Sally and features Sydney Sweeney.

Haagen-Dazs have Fast & Furious actors promoting their ice cream, Barry Keoghan is appearing for website builder Squarespace, and Gordon Ramsay is selling cookware manufacturer HexClad.

Now in his second stint at the White House, Trump will be the first sitting US president to attend a Super Bowl.

He is no stranger to the NFL and attended a game last October in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania while campaigning in the presidential election.

In the past he has also been critical of league commissioner Roger Goodell – most recently because he didn’t like a rule change for kick-offs.

He also disapproved of Goodell’s handling of NFL players who chose to kneel during the national anthem, which was last done widely in 2020 following the murder of George Floyd.

Players explained the protest was intended to draw attention to racial injustice in the US but Trump said they should be fired or suspended for disrespecting the country.

Fox, who are broadcasting the Super Bowl in the US, will also air an interview with the president on his first 100 days in office during their pre-game show.

The NFL has said it will not use the slogan “End Racism” in the Super Bowl – it has used the phrase for the last four editions.

The league said the change was not in response to the political climate under the new Trump administration, which has ended the use of DEI schemes in the federal government, but recent tragedies in the US.

“Choose Love” and “It Takes All of Us” were deemed more appropriate following the terrorist attack in New Orleans on New Year’s Eve and the wildfires in California last month. These slogans were introduced by the NFL in 2020 and have appeared in various league games since then.

Goodell said he was proud of the league’s diversity efforts and would continue them. “We’ve not only convinced ourselves, we’ve proven it to ourselves,” he said. “It does make the NFL better.”

Jon Batiste, the Grammy-winning singer and songwriter, will perform The Star Spangled Banner this year.

Viewers will keep an ear out for any fluffed lyrics, as experienced by Christina Aguilera, while bettors will keep an eye on how long Batiste’s rendition takes.

Other songs will also be performed prior to kick-off including America the Beautiful, by Trombone Shorty and Lauren Daigle, as well as Lift Every Voice and Sing by Ledisi.