Super Bowl: Where to watch online, and more
As the Giants battle the Patriots on Sunday, viewers have dozens of ways to keep up with the game--by live streaming, watching on cell phones, or subscribing to apps and social-media feeds.
Editor's note: This story was written in 2012. If you're looking for information on 2013's game, CNET's Super Bowl XLVII resource guide and CBS Sports have information on where to watch a live stream of this year's game.
For the first time ever, the Super Bowl will be officially live-streamed online this year.
Viewers will be able to watch the Giants battle the Patriots on their PCs, laptops, and even their cell phones. In addition to live-streaming, there are dozens of other ways to connect with this year's game and get to know the football players, stats, and ads--through social media, apps, and mobile.
Here's CNET's resource guide for getting with Super Bowl XLVI minus a television:
Streaming
- NBCSports.com will broadcast the entire game for free beginning with pregame activity at 2 p.m. ET and kickoff at 6:30 p.m. ET. Viewers will be able to choose from four unique camera angles, as well as pause and rewind the stream, and connect to social-media sites like Twitter and Facebook.
- NFL.com will also show the entire Super Bowl 2012 game live for free.
Mobile
- Verizon subscribers can watch Super Bowl XLVI directly from their iOS or Android mobile phone using an NFL mobile app, which is free. This app is already streaming live video for some of the pregame hype.
Apps
- The Super Bowl XLVI Guide app is free but mostly for people watching the game from Lucas Oil Stadium. Its features include a detailed guide to local restaurants, nightlife, and official Super Bowl events; a 3D map of Indianapolis; and an interactive 3D map of the Stadium; along with screens to follow different social-media sites.
- The Super Bowl XLVI Commemorative app costs $2.99 and features each team's road to Super Bowl XLVI; Super Bowl history; game breakdown and key stats; NFL.com video; and postgame bonus features like video highlights and player interviews.
- PlayUp is a free iOS-only social-networking app exclusively for sports fans. On Friday its developers announced that PlayUp has teamed with NFL stars Steven Jackson and Stevie Johnson to watch the Super Bowl. These two football players will be connecting with fans throughout the game in hangout rooms within the app.
- The Giants Mobile app is the free official mobile home of the New York Giants. It offers real-time news, on-demand videos, stats, photo galleries, and a stream of Big Blue-related tweets. The app is synced with Facebook and Twitter.
- The New England Patriots app is the free official home of the New England Patriots. Much like the Giants Mobile app, it's for fans who want news, videos, stats, scores, and video and audio streams.
Social media
- Twitter is amping up for game day by putting together all Super Bowl XLVI accounts, like @GiantsTweets and @NEPatriotTweets, which automatically select and retweet top tweets from the game. People can also search #SuperBowl to see how viewers are reacting to the action on the field.
Ads
- YouTube is promoting its AdBlitz channel that will let Super Bowl viewers follow along during the game and replay favorite commercials once they've aired.
- Hulu will also collect Super Bowl ads in its AdZone channel after they've aired.
Other countries
- Canada--viewers in Canada can watch the Super Bowl using Bell Mobility's exclusive mobile app, which includes NFL Network, NFL RedZone, and Super Bowl XLV live.
- China--viewers in China can watch the game on PPTV Online TV, which is an Internet TV company that has partnered with the NFL.