Super Bowl XLIX kicks off on February 1, 2015 at 3:30pm PT, 6:30pm ET. If you don’t have tickets and aren’t there to watch it in person, the next best thing is to watch it on as large a TV set as you can find, with as many friends, beverages, and snacks as possible. If you can’t get home, to a friends, or to a sports bar, however, there are several ways you can watch on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac — or on your Apple TV via AirPlay. Thanks to rights and exclusivity agreements, it varies by region and even by carrier, but here are your options!
In the U.S.
The National Broadcast Company — NBC — will be streaming Super Bowl XLIX for free via their iPad app and website. For anyone with an iPad or Mac in America, or any Americans traveling but still on a U.S.-based VPN, those are your go-to game options.
- Free for iPad – NBC Sports Live Extra app – Download now
- Free for Mac – NBC Sports Live Extra site – Visit now
If you’re a Verizon customer, you can also stream Super Bowl XLIX via the NFL mobile app, provided you plan supports it. (And it wonder why we dislike you so much, carriers!)
- Free with some Verizon plans – NFL Mobile — Download now
Outside the U.S.
If you’re not in America, you still have several options for getting access to Super Bowl XLIX. Not all of them, however, are free.
- You can buy the NFL Gamepass.
- If you’re in Canada, and have a cable subscription, you can watch via CTV.ca on your Mac.
- If you’re in the U.K., you can watch via Channel4.com on your Mac or Sky Go on Mac or Sky Now for iOS.
If you know of other places and ways to watch, please add them in the comments!
Super Bowl commercials
If your favorite part of the game is the commercials that go between the plays, or if you live outside the U.S. and can’t get the blockbuster spots, you can catch up with them for free on YouTube.
How will you be watching the Super Bowl?
I’ll be watching the Super Bowl gathered around a TV or projector with friends, good drinks, terrible food, and a whole lot of fun. No matter where you are, let me know — where will you be watching and who will you be watching with?