Look, we know that not everyone watches the Super Bowl for the football. It's one of the year's pinnacles of entertainment, so some people choose to tune in just for the commercials and halftime show.
That said, if you're only planning to watch the halftime show, you have to time your entrance just right.
The Super Bowl never has a set time for halftime, as the length of football games is variable. It can still be assumed roughlywhenit will begin, but all the best guesses are estimates.
So, when is the halftime show likely to begin? And for those looking for a break from the action, how long of a halftime does the NFL grant during the Super Bowl? Below is all of the information that fans will need to know ahead of Super Bowl 56.
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How long is halftime at the Super Bowl?
The Super Bowl halftime can last anywhere from20 to 30 minutes, depending on how much time the NFL allots to ready the field for the second half.
Halftime is extended because of the Super Bowl halftime show. The show usually lasts between 12 and 14 minutes, but it takes time to both set up and strike the stage. Thus, the NFL needs a cushion around it, and that usually makes for a 30-minute interlude when factoring in the return of the teams to the field and player warmups.
MORE:How much are Super Bowl halftime show performers paid?
How long is a regular NFL halftime?
Halftime usually lasts between 12 and 15 minutes during the regular season. That allows players a chance to briefly rest and refuel before the second half while fans can also recharge and grab refreshments.
Teams rarely have halftime shows for which to account, though musical acts do sometimes perform at games and for holiday games like Thanksgiving. However, those acts only use small stages —if they use them at all — so halftime length isn't impacted by them.
The adjustment between a regular-season halftime and a Super Bowl halftime can be jarring for players and coaches alike. There are strategies to cope with the change, though they aren't universally viewed as beneficial.
Bill Belichick detailed in 2012 that his team would take a 30-minute break in the middle of practice to simulate the game conditions.
“It really gets into a whole restarting mentality,”Belichick told NJ.com. “It’s not like taking a break and coming out in the second half. It’s like starting the game all over again. It’s like playing a game, stopping, and then playing a second game."
The Eagles took a similar approach in 2018 before they played Belichick's Patriots in the Super Bowl. At that time, then-Philadelphia coach Doug Pederson implemented mid-practice breaks for the Eagles as well.
"That's why I did the break, was to put us in that situation, now we understand it," he said, per the AP. "It was a very teachable moment for our guys, our coaches and how to prepare for the second half of a football game."
But even with those breaks baked into practice, it is still hard to deal with the longer halftime. Torrey Smith, who was with the Ravens in 2013 and Eagles in 2018, described being antsy in the locker room in the Ravens-49ers game.
"You have to waste time," Smith said. "There's only so much you can really do. We have a plan to stay warm and things to stay active."
Of course, the 2013 Super Bowl famously saw the power go out at the Superdome, so Smith had to wait even longer than usual after halftime to get back on the field.
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What time is the Super Bowl halftime show?
The Super Bowl halftime show doesn't have a set time since the length of NFL games is fluid. That said, the halftime show will likely start at or around 8 p.m. ET, as the Super Bowl will begin at 6:30 p.m. ET.
As such, it's best for viewers looking to catch just the halftime show to tune into NBC at or just before 8 p.m. ET. The halftime performance will last about 12 or 13 minutes.
