Super Bowl special edition: The big money behind the big game

Plus: Super Bowl ad trends

We're just two days away from Super Bowl LV between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with kickoff set for 6:30 p.m. Eastern on Sunday. Tampa Bay is set to be the first team in NFL history to play in a Super Bowl at its home field—Raymond James Stadium, which is ready for its close-up thanks to a $160 million renovation. But with fan attendance limited by the pandemic, this won't feel like your typical home game—or like any Super Bowl ever before. In this special edition of the Forbes SportsMoney Playbook, we run down everything you need to know ahead of the big game.

THE MATCHUP

The Chiefs are the NFL's reigning champions but rank just 23rd on our list of the league's most valuable teams. Still, that puts them six spots ahead of the Buccaneers, who may play in the new "Title Town USA" but aren't guaranteed financial success.

There's serious money in the owner's box, though. The Hunts, who have owned the Chiefs for six decades, are among America's richest families, worth more than $15 billion. Meanwhile, the Glazer family, which owns Manchester United in addition to the Buccaneers, has one of the world's most valuable sports empires.

The matchup pits Tampa Bay coach Bruce Arians against a team he loves.

THE PLAYERS

Sunday's game will feature one of the NFL's ten highest-paid players, and it isn't Patrick Mahomes, who has a minuscule cap number despite last year's record-setting extension. Just how good is Mahomes? Well, Hall of Fame coach Jimmy Johnson calls him "the most talented quarterback I've ever seen," and fans are willing to pay $861,000 for his rookie card.

His Buccaneers counterpart is no slouch, either: Tom Brady is playing in his tenth Super Bowl after 20 years in New England. "He called his own shot," says former receiver Nate Burleson. Even Brady's old nemesis Eli Manning is impressed.

This will be the fifth career matchup between Mahomes and Brady. The Chiefs have a secret weapon in their secondary but will have to hope their reshuffled offensive line can hold up against a ferocious pass rush.

THE BRANDS

After 37 years of Super Bowl commercials, Budweiser is skipping the big game. It's not the only major advertiser taking a year off, either, raising the question of whether Covid-19 means the end of big-name Super Bowl ads. Don't get carried away, though: A 30-second ad still costs $5.5 million, and with TV ratings recovering this postseason, chief marketing officers are ready to give viewers a diversion from the world's woes. Joe Montana is starring in a Guinness ad, and Sam Adams is taking a shot at a rival.

The battle for mindshare doesn't stop at television. Twitter is planning an in-stadium stunt, and numerous brands are duking it out on Amazon, Walmart.com and Target.com.

THE BETS

Prop bets had their breakthrough moment in 1986 and just keep growing. And why wouldn't they? Who doesn't want to lay down money on whether Miley Cyrus' belly button will be visible, or whether Andy Reid says "burger" in his postgame interview? (See the full list of available prop bets here, and see betting advice from an oddsmaker here.)

FanDuel is expecting a big day, leading into an eventful 2021. The Chiefs are favored, but stock market watchers are pulling for the Buccaneers.

However you choose to bet, just remember: Even though nearly half the country has legalized sports betting, your Super Bowl squares pool is likely illegal.

The Last Word

“I’m the rabbit’s foot. When I go to a team, they make it happen.”

LeSean McCoy

One year after he reached the Super Bowl with the Chiefs, LeSean McCoy has made it back with the Buccaneers. Click here for more from McCoy on his journey to Tampa Bay.