Honestly, the Super Bowl isn't just a football game anymore. It’s a full-blown national holiday that starts way before the first whistle. If you’re sitting around waiting for the 6:30 p.m. ET kickoff to flip on the TV, you’ve already missed half the fun. For Super Bowl LX, happening February 8, 2026, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, the schedule is actually pretty wild because NBC is juggling the game and the Winter Olympics at the exact same time.
So, let's get into the weeds of the schedule. You don't want to be the person asking "did I miss the anthem?" while everyone else is already on their second plate of wings.
What Time Does Pregame Start for Super Bowl LX?
If you want the short answer: the official Super Bowl pregame start time on NBC is 1:00 p.m. ET.
But wait. There’s a catch this year. Because NBC has the rights to both the "Big Game" and the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, the "pre-pregame" is basically a hybrid sports marathon. NBC starts their broadcast day at 7:00 a.m. ET with live Olympic coverage. If you're a die-hard who wakes up with football on the brain, you'll actually see the first NFL-specific programming at 12:00 p.m. ET with the annual "Road to the Super Bowl" produced by NFL Films.
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That one-hour special is basically the appetizer. The real meat—the official five-and-a-half-hour pregame show—cranks up at 1:00 p.m. ET.
The Breakdown of the Afternoon
- 7:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. ET: Winter Olympics coverage (The "I'm just waking up" phase).
- 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. ET: Road to the Super Bowl (The "NFL Films" slow-mo phase).
- 1:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. ET: Official Super Bowl LX Pregame Show (The "Maria Taylor and Cris Collinsworth" phase).
- 6:30 p.m. ET: Kickoff (The "Actually playing football" phase).
Why This Year's Pregame is Different
We’ve seen double-headers before, but the NBC "Super Gold Sunday" vibe is unique. Since the game is in Santa Clara, local time at the stadium is 3.5 hours behind Eastern Time. While you're watching the pregame show at 1:00 p.m. in New York, the players are just pulling up to the stadium in California at 10:00 a.m. local time.
Expect a lot of cross-promotion. You’ll probably see Mike Tirico—who is basically the busiest man in sports this February—switching hats between Olympic host and Super Bowl lead.
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One thing people always get wrong is thinking the "pregame" is just guys in suits talking at a desk. By 5:30 p.m. ET, the broadcast shifts heavily toward the field. This is when the pageantry kicks in. You've got the player intros, the Walter Payton Man of the Year presentation, and the actual "on-field" pregame entertainment.
The Performances You Can't Miss
If you're only tuning in for the music and the vibes, the 6:00 p.m. ET window is your "must-watch" zone.
Charlie Puth is set to handle the National Anthem this year. Alongside him, Brandi Carlile is taking on "America the Beautiful," and Coco Jones will perform "Lift Every Voice and Sing." These aren't just background noise; they are timed to the second to coordinate with the military flyover, which usually happens exactly at the final note of the anthem. If you tune in at 6:25 p.m., you’re cutting it way too close.
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Streaming and Watching Options
You’ve got choices. If you aren't a cable person, Peacock is the primary streaming home for everything from the 7:00 a.m. Olympics start to the final trophy lift.
For the Spanish-language broadcast, Telemundo and Universo are handling the heavy lifting. Their pregame usually starts a bit later, around 5:00 p.m. ET, focusing more on the immediate lead-up to the game rather than the five-hour marathon NBC runs.
How to Plan Your Sunday
Basically, if you’re hosting a party, tell people to show up around 4:30 p.m. or 5:00 p.m. ET. That gives you an hour or so of "background" pregame noise while people settle in, but ensures everyone is seated for the national anthem and the coin toss.
Keep in mind that because of the Olympics, the post-game coverage is going to be tight. Once the Lombardi Trophy is handed over and the confetti is swept up (usually around 10:15 p.m. ET), NBC is expected to pivot almost immediately back to "Primetime in Milan" Olympic coverage by 10:45 p.m. ET.
Actionable Steps for Game Day:
- Check your signal early: If you’re using an antenna for NBC, scan your channels on Saturday. Don't wait until 6:25 p.m. on Sunday to realize your reception is spotty.
- Download the NFL OnePass App: If you’re actually in the Bay Area, this is the only way to track the fan activations at Moscone Center and the various drone shows happening in San Jose.
- Sync your snacks: Aim to have the main spread ready by 5:45 p.m. ET. This covers the most "dead air" during the final pregame ceremonies before the 6:30 p.m. kickoff.
- Set your DVR for 12:00 p.m. ET: Even if you sleep in, "Road to the Super Bowl" is consistently the best-produced hour of sports television every year. It’s worth a watch while you’re cleaning up on Monday.
The buildup is half the spectacle. Whether you're there for the 1:00 p.m. analysis or just the 6:00 p.m. anthems, knowing the clock is the only way to make sure you don't miss the moments people will be talking about at the water cooler on Monday.