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The 57th Super Bowl will kick off on Sunday – here’s all you need to know to watch the biggest game of the NFL season.

Often filled with drama, performance, politics and showbiz – the culmination of the NFL (National Football League) season is back for another year this weekend.

With millions around the world set to tune in – here is everything you need to know about Super Bowl LVII.

So sit back, relax, grab your match-day snacks and prepare for a classic.

When is it and how can I watch?

Super Bowl LVII will be played at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, but you can cosy up in the comfort of your own home because it’s set to air on Sky Sports NFL (407) and Sky Sports Main Event (401) on Sunday, 12 February.

Coverage starts at 10pm (UK time), with kick-off in the big game at 11.30pm.

If you’re up late and on the move, you can also watch the show with Sky Go – online or on NOW TV, with the Sky Sports Day Pass.

Who’s playing?

A storm is brewing, with The Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs set to go head-to-head.

History in the making

This is what Sky News’s Alan McGuinness has to say about this year:

This year’s contest will see history made.

It’s the first time two black quarterbacks have faced off for the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

Patrick Mahomes has been here before.

The Chiefs QB will be playing in his third Super Bowl since becoming the team’s starter in 2018.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. PiC: AP
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Pic: AP

He led the Chiefs to their first Super Bowl in 50 years in 2020, but was on the losing side the following year.

The mercurial Mahomes is a dynamic playmaker who can burn defences through the air or on the ground.

With him under centre, the Chiefs are perennial Super Bowl contenders – this is their third appearance in four years. But Mahomes could be hampered by an ankle injury he sustained earlier in the playoffs.

Eagles QB Jalen Hurts is playing in his first Super Bowl in what is his second full season as the team’s starter.

Philadelphia Eagles' Jalen Hurts. Pic: AP
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Pic: AP

The Eagles will be competing in the franchise’s fourth Super Bowl, with the team’s sole victory coming in 2018.

Both teams entered the playoffs as the number one seeds in their respective conferences, having both notched up 14-3 records in the regular season.

It means we should be in for an exciting game come Sunday.

Who will sing the national anthem?

Chris Stapleton will be performing the national anthem. Pic: AP
Image:
Pic: AP

The American football show is known for its showbiz magic and touch of patriotic symbolism.

The national anthem often marks the opening of the grand event and has been a tradition year after year.

This year, country singer, songwriter and guitarist Chris Stapleton will be taking the lead.

Stapleton has previously reached the top of the country charts and has won eight Grammy Awards, among many others.

Up next it’s the half-time show. Who’s performing?

Rihanna to perform at the 2023 Super Bowl. Pic: AP
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Pic: AP

This year it’s Rihanna who takes centre stage.

The Super Bowl is known for its exciting performances at half-time with the momentous event often a pinnacle in many artists’ careers.

In September 2022, NFL announced that Rihanna would be performing at the Super Bowl half-time show.

Apple Music said: “It’s ON. Rihanna will take the stage for the first-ever Apple Music Super Bowl Half-time Show on 2.12.23.”

The Barbadian singer is known for her pop and R&B flow and is a worldwide sensation in the music scene. She is also known for the launch of her beauty and fashion lines, Fenty Beauty and Savage X Fenty.

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Who’s played the iconic half-time show before?

The Super Bowl stage does not fall short of great performances over the years, from the Rolling Stones in 2006, to Madonna in 2012.

Here are some previous show-stopping moments that had crowds roaring.

Madonna in 2012

NFL Super Bowl XLVI 2012 Madonna performs on stage. Pic: AP
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Pic: AP

Beyonce, Coldplay and Bruno Mars in 2016

Beyoncé, Coldplay and Bruno Mars perform in the 2016 NFL Super Bowl games. Pic: AP
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Pic: AP

The Rolling Stones in 2006

The Rolling Stones perform at the 2006 Super Bowl games. Pic: AP
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Pic: AP

Jennifer Lopez and Shakira in 2020

Pic: AP
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Shakira (L) Jennifer Lopez (R). Pic: AP

What about the ads?

Roughly 100 million people tune in to watch the Super Bowl each year – which makes it advertising’s biggest stage.

Big companies from Netflix to Google are paying as much as $7m for a 30-second spot.

In order to get as much as a return on investment for those millions, most advertisers release their ads in the days ahead of the big game to get the most publicity for their spots.

But what are ads without celebrity?

The Super Bowl makes headlines for the glitz and the glam as well as just the sport.

In the ads released so far, actor Miles Teller dances to customer-service hold music for Bud Light, Will Ferrell crashes popular Netflix shows like Bridgerton in a joint ad for GM and Netflix; and Alicia Silverstone reprises her Clueless character for online shopping site Rakuten.

Here’s who else we’ll see.

Melissa McCarthy stars in a musical number for Booking.com about her desire to go on a trip “somewhere, anywhere”.

Nick Jonas returns for the second year in an ad that highlight’s Dexcom’s glucose monitoring system.

Hellmann’s shows actors Jon Hamm and Brie Larson in a fridge with a jar of mayo. Get it?

Beer brand Michelob Ultra’s two ads are set at Bushwood Country Club, the fictional country club in Caddyshack, and star tennis great Serena Williams, actor Brian Cox, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, soccer player Alex Morgan and boxer Canelo Alvarez.

The Frito-Lay brand PopCorners recreates Breaking Bad with Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul – but this time the duo are cooking up the PopCorners snack in their RV instead of anything illicit.

Uber’s ad for its membership program Uber One shows hip hop mogul P Diddy working to create a hit song for Uber One. The ad features Montell Jordan (“This is How We Do It”), Kelis (“Milkshake”), Donna Lewis (“I Love You Always Forever”), Haddaway (“What is Love”) and Ylvis (“What Does the Fox Say”).

In the first Super Bowl ad from enterprise software company Workday, rock stars Ozzy Osbourne, Billy Idol, Joan Jett and others complain that office workers shouldn’t call each other rock stars.

And finally, who holds the most Super Bowl titles?

Coming out on top, The Patriots and Steelers are familiar with playing on the big stage. Here are the top wins from 1967 to 2022 according to Statista:

  • Pittsburgh Steelers: 6
  • New England Patriots: 6
  • San Francisco 49ers: 5
  • Dallas Cowboys: 5
  • New York Giants: 4
  • Green Bay Packers: 4

And that’s all you need to know for the big game – enjoy the match!

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Day 34: Why Trump really flipped the script on Ukraine

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Day 34: Why Trump really flipped the script on Ukraine

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As President Trump claims he is “close” to signing a mining deal with Ukraine, and his secretary of state Marco Rubio talks about a lack of “gratitude” from President Zelenskyy for US military assistance, our US correspondents Mark Stone, Martha Kelner and James Matthews discuss if this is the real reason Trump’s administration appears to have turned its back on Ukraine.

And, why Canada is taking its feud with Donald Trump on to the ice.

You can email James, Mark and Martha on trump100@sky.uk

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Trump fires top US military officers – including America’s most senior commander

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Trump fires top US military officers - including America's most senior commander

Donald Trump has purged top military figures in the Pentagon, including firing America’s most senior commander.

He also pushed out five other admirals and generals in an unprecedented shake-up of US military leadership.

The Pentagon had been bracing for mass firings of civilian staff as well as a dramatic overhaul of its budget and a shift in military deployments.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force General Charles ‘CQ’ Brown – America’s highest-ranking general and only the second black general to serve as chairman – was fired with immediate effect.

The president will also replace the head of the US Navy, a position held by Admiral Lisa Franchetti, the first woman to lead a military service, and the Air Force vice chief of staff, the Pentagon said.

He is also removing the judge advocates general for the Army, Navy and Air Force, critical positions that ensure enforcement of military justice.

The campaign to rid the military of leaders who support diversity and equity in the ranks has been condemned by Democrats.

There is nothing apolitical about Trump

By David Blevins, Sky News correspondent

The purge of America’s top military officials, carried out by President Trump and his Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, is unprecedented, writes Sky News correspondent David Blevins, in Washington.

Their dismissal late on Friday sent shockwaves through the defence establishment and raised concerns about the direction of military leadership.

General Charles Q Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was abruptly removed two years into his four-year term.

America’s most senior military officer comes into office two years into a presidential term, meaning they serve under two presidents.

The role is intended to be apolitical but there is no such thing as non-partisan politics in the Trump playbook.

Brown’s tenure had been marked by a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion, putting him at odds with the administration.

Prior to his appointment as defence secretary, Hegseth questioned Brown’s promotion, hinting that it had been influenced by race.

In his book, The War on Warriors, Hegseth wrote: “The military standards, once the hallmark for competency, professionalism, and ‘mission first’ outcomes, have officially been subsumed by woke priorities.”

Supporters of the administration argue the changes are necessary to refocus military priorities in line with the president’s objectives.

But critics contend that such a sweeping overhaul of leadership undermines the apolitical nature of the military and unsettles the rank and file.

Rhode Island’s senator Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said: “Firing uniformed officers as a type of political loyalty test… erodes the trust and professionalism that our servicemembers require to achieve their missions.”

Representative Seth Moulton, a Massachusetts Democrat, said the firings were “un-American, unpatriotic, and dangerous for our troops and our national security.”

“This is the definition of politicising our military,” he said.

Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said: “Firing uniformed leaders as a type of political loyalty test, or for reasons relating to diversity and gender that have nothing to do with performance, erodes the trust and professionalism that our servicemembers require to achieve their missions.”

Read more:
Dozens turn out in support of Luigi Mangione
Former Trump adviser denies using ‘Nazi’ salute

During the election, Mr Trump spoke of firing “woke” generals and those he saw as responsible for the withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Defence secretary and former Fox News personality Pete Hegseth has questioned whether General Brown would have got the job if he were not black.

There is no indication his appointment was not based on merit.

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On Friday, Mr Trump said: “I want to thank General Charles ‘CQ’ Brown for his over 40 years of service to our country, including as our current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

“He is a fine gentleman and an outstanding leader, and I wish a great future for him and his family.”

It’s unclear who Mr Trump will choose to replace the judge advocates. Mr Hegseth previously criticised military lawyers, saying most “spend more time prosecuting our troops than putting away bad guys”.

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Dozens turn out in support of Luigi Mangione over killing of US healthcare boss Brian Thompson

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Dozens turn out in support of Luigi Mangione over killing of US healthcare boss Brian Thompson

Dozens of supporters were outside court as the man accused of fatally shooting the chief executive of UnitedHealthcare made his first appearance.

Luigi Mangione has pleaded not guilty to multiple counts of murder following the 4 December killing of Brian Thompson, 50, outside a midtown Manhattan hotel.

The 26-year-old is accused of ambushing and shooting the executive as he walked to an investor conference.

Luigi Mangione supporters stand outside the Supreme Court. Pic: AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah
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Luigi Mangione supporters stand outside the Supreme Court. Pic: AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah

Dozens of people who showed up in court to support the suspect including former army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning who was jailed for stealing classified diplomatic cables.

Dozens more queued in the hallway.

More on Luigi Mangione

Mangione is also facing federal charges that could carry the possibility of the death penalty.

The judge set a deadline of 9 April to submit pre-trial motions.

Luigi Mangione is accused of fatally shooting Brian Thompson. Pic: Steven Hirsch/New York Post via AP
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Luigi Mangione is accused of fatally shooting Brian Thompson. Pic: Steven Hirsch/New York Post via AP

In addition to the New York cases, Mr Mangione also faces charges of forgery, carrying firearms without a licence, and other counts in Pennsylvania, where authorities arrested him at a McDonald’s.

Police say he was in possession of a gun, bullets, multiple fake IDs and a handwritten document that expressed “ill will” towards corporate America.

He is being held in a Brooklyn jail alongside several other high-profile defendants, including music mogul and rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs, and disgraced crypto entrepreneur Sam Bankman-Fried.

The killing prompted some to voice their resentment at US health insurers, with Mangione attracting a cult following.

A poll taken in the wake of the shooting showed most Americans believe health insurance profits and coverage denials were partly to blame for the incident.

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