What time did Super Bowl LIII actually start
Super Bowl LIII was played on Sunday, February 3, 2019, at 6:30p.m. ET (3:30p.m. PT) at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. This start time, set by the NFL and broadcast partners, was consistent across U.S. networks, with local Bay Area viewers seeing a 3:30p.m. Pacific kickoff. The game determined the champion for the 2018 season and featured the New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Rams. Below are the verified details people most often need when referencing the event.
Key time and broadcast facts at a glance
| Attribute | Verified Detail | Source Type |
|---|---|---|
| Date | February 3, 2019 | Official NFL schedule |
| Kickoff (ET) | 6:30p.m. Eastern Time | Network broadcast listing |
| Kickoff (PT) | 3:30p.m. Pacific Time | Venue and network confirmation |
| Venue | Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, CA | Event site and ticketing |
| Champion | New England Patriots | Official game result |
| Halftime performer | Maroon 5 with Travis Scott and Big Boi | Broadcast announcement |
Understanding time zone conversions
Because the Super Bowl is a national television event, viewers across North America reference different local times. The fixed Eastern Time broadcast simplifies planning for most of the U.S. If you are in the Central Time Zone, the kickoff occurred at 5:30p.m. CT; in the Mountain Time Zone, at 4:30p.m. MT; and in the Alaska Time Zone, at 4:30p.m. AKT. These offsets assume standard time zone definitions without local deviations.
Pacific and Mountain examples
- Pacific (Los Angeles, San Francisco): 3:30p.m. PT
- Mountain (Denver, Phoenix): 4:30p.m. MT
- Central (Chicago, Dallas): 5:30p.m. CT
- Eastern (New York, Atlanta): 6:30p.m. ET
Venue and local time context
Levi’s Stadium is in Santa Clara, California, which observes Pacific Time. Event staff and attendees on site would have used Pacific Time for entry, warm-ups, and the broadcast window. For international audiences, it is helpful to convert 6:30p.m. ET into their local time using reliable conversion tools, noting that the game did not observe daylight saving time, since February is outside the U.S. daylight saving period.
Broadcast and pregame schedule
Television networks typically scheduled pregame coverage beginning around 3p.m. PT, with national network coverage ramping up in the hours before kickoff. This allowed viewers to catch analysis, interviews, and live ceremony segments. The on-field action started promptly at the announced time, and the broadcast followed the official game clock once the opening coin toss occurred.
Why the time matters for planning
Whether you are coordinating watch parties, travel, or media buys, confirming the start time in the correct time zone avoids confusion. Because the Super Bowl consistently uses a late-afternoon ET start in early February, planners can rely on the 6:30p.m. ET Eastern anchor as a stable reference point for year-to-year scheduling. Local planning in Pacific and Mountain zones is correspondingly predictable.
Frequently asked questions about the 2019 kickoff
People often ask how the 2019 start time compared with other years, whether weather affected timing, and how to convert for live viewing abroad. The reliable pattern and firm network schedule mean the 2019 kickoff conformed to the typical early February window, and any minor deviations were limited to second-by-second live play, not the planned clock time.