The Super Bowl is not just the biggest sporting event of the year, but it's one of the biggest events of the calendar period! The annual event is unlike any other sporting event as it's evolved into one of the biggest pop culture events of the year. It's not just a sports game, it's a multi-layered pop culture event that truly has something for everyone.
Yes, there is the sports component with many tuning in to watch the best of the best battle it out in hopes of becoming Super Bowl Champions, but there are also even bigger entertainment elements that have become a large draw for the game. Millions tune in to watch some of music's biggest names take to the stage during the Halftime Show, others are glued to their TVs in excitement about the game's trailers and commercials, and for some, the game is the perfect excuse to enjoy some good food and time with friends and family.
If you're settling in to enjoy Super Bowl LVIII with family and friends this Sunday, you might want to make sure you set aside your entire evening for the big game because fans are in for a night of football!
CBS set aside 3 hours and 30 minutes for Super Bowl LVIII
This year, CBS will be the broadcast home of the Super Bowl and the network is looking to turn over its evening slate to the biggest game of the year. CBS has set aside three hours and 30 minutes for the game which is slated to air on CBS from 6:30 p.m. ET through 10 p.m. ET. The game will then lead into the series premiere of Tracker, CBS's new original series starring Justin Hartley which is scheduled to begin at 10 p.m. ET.
CBS is following a schedule that is similar to those of many recent Super Bowl schedules with just under four hours set aside for the game itself. There is a chance that the game could indeed wrap by 10 p.m.; however, history has shown that most Super Bowls rarely finish before 10 p.m. ET.
Instead, many games in recent years have remained on air past 10:30 p.m. ET and there is a very good chance that trend will continue again this year. In fact, if you want to plan accordingly, we'd suggest planning for the game to wrap by or around 11 p.m. ET which would give you a more realistic timeline for when the game will air as the odds of the Super Bowl wrapping at 10 p.m. on the dot are very slim.
Most post-Super Bowl shows have started after 10:30 p.m. ET
In recent years, most of the post-Super Bowl shows have begun airing sometime after 10:30 p.m. ET including Next Level Chef which aired after FOX's Super Bowl coverage in 2023. The two-hour episode kicked off at 10:37 p.m. ET and did not conclude until just after midnight ET.
The last time the Super Bowl wrapped before 10 p.m. ET was way back in 1997 when Super Bowl XXXI aired on FOX. That year's game wrapped in time for FOX's post-Super Bowl presentation of The X-Files to begin at 9:30 p.m. ET, which is the last time the post-Super Bowl show aired before 10 p.m. on Super Bowl Sunday.