Updated
The 52nd (LII in Roman numerals) edition of Super Bowl plays out on Monday morning (Australian time) and as usual, there's as much interest off the field as there is on it.
The New England Patriots will be playing for their sixth NFL championship, with the Philadelphia Eagles in search of their maiden victory when they take the field in Minneapolis.
But Super Bowl is about much more than who goes home with the trophy.
Here's a look at what all the fuss is about.
By the numbers
Ticket prices: Up to $5,000
Ad spot: $6,300,000 for 30 seconds
Crowd: 66,000
Private plane flights to the Twin Cities this week: Up to 1,500
Hotel rooms booked: 41,000
Reporters covering the game: 5,000
Average TV viewers last year: 111.3 million
Dollars spent on beer during last year's Super Bowl: $US1.3 billion ($1.6 billion)
Each Patriots player's Super Bowl bonus last year: $135,000
Back-to-back Super Bowl winners: 8
Teams that have never won: 13
The halftime show
Justin Timberlake will take centre stage in the halftime show for the first time since 2004, when he and Janet Jackson were involved in the infamous "wardrobe malfunction" incident.
It will be his third appearance, having also performed as a part of NSYNC in 2001.
A word from the sponsors
The Super Bowl is a rare event in that viewers do actually pay attention to the ads.
That captive audience has prompted advertisers to cough up $US5,000,000 ($6.3 million) for a 30 second spot this year.
And they've also spared no expense on talent, with this year's list of stars including: Jeff Bezos, Gordon Ramsay, Rebel Wilson, Cardi B, Anthony Hopkins, Peter Dinklage, Busta Rhymes, Morgan Freeman, Missy Elliott, Steven Tyler and Chris Pratt.
The teams
The Eagles have won seven of the 13 previous meetings between the two sides, but one notable defeat was in the 2005 Super Bowl, when the Patriots ran out 24-21 winners.
New England have been perennial contenders since then as Tom Brady and Bill Belichick built a dynasty at Foxborough, most recently defeating the Atlanta Falcons to win last year's championship.
The Eagles, on the other hand, have had mixed fortunes until this season, when they have found inspiring leaders in not one, but two quarterbacks.
Carson Wentz and then Nick Foles compiled a 15-3 record this season with a multidimensional, ball-control offence that might just be capable of holding onto the ball long enough to render Brady a spectator.
Apart from Brady, who's playing?
The face of Super Bowl LII is, undoubtedly, New England quarterback Tom Brady.
At 40 years old, the California native is preparing for possibly his last chance to add to his record five Super Bowl rings.
Add in the fact that he is the husband of Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen and it is little wonder that he commands the lion's share of pre-game attention.
But there are 105 other players suiting up to play in Minneapolis, so let's look at a few others of interest.
Nick Foles: The Philadelphia quarterback was warming the bench as back-up to Carson Wentz until injury put him into the spotlight six weeks ago. The Eagles' high-powered offence will need the 29-year-old to have a steady hand at the wheel if they want to upset the reigning champs.
Chris Long: The son of Hall of Fame player Howie Long, the journeyman defensive end played for free this season, donating his game cheques to charities supporting disadvantaged children. Long won the Super Bowl with New England last year before moving to Philadelphia in the summer.
LeGarrette Blount: Another ex-Patriots Super Bowl winner, running back Blount is the engine room of the Eagles offence, laying the platform for the Eagles' passing game. Philadelphia will be looking to him to burn time off the clock and keep Brady where they want him: off the field.
Rob Gronkowski: At almost two metres tall and weighing 120 kilograms, "Gronk" is Brady's favourite passing target, winning two Super Bowls with the Patriots. However, he has been recovering from a concussion, limiting his preparations for Sunday's game.
Brandin Cook: New England has had a strong season from the receiver after acquiring him from New Orleans in the offseason. He posted his third straight 1,000-yard receiving season and was second on the team in receiving yards behind only Gronkowski (1,084).
Dion Lewis: The running back has also found new life just two seasons removed from a knee injury. He led the team with 896 yards rushing and six rushing touchdowns.
Topics: american-football, sport, united-states
First posted