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Hosting tips for your Super Bowl watch party
For some, hosting the Super Bowl is the event of the year. It combines some of the reasons people love the holidays — it brings friends/family together, everyone gorges on food and drink, and there’s a central attraction for everyone to engage with.
It’s a rare event — in that it focuses on a football game, but non-football fans can still participate and have fun. But all of that (like with the holidays) just puts more pressure on the host, who has to ensure everyone is comfortable and having fun while the big game is on the TV. We’ve thought of everything you should know to have a Super Bowl party to be proud of, and threw in some less-traditional suggestions so yours will stand out more than others.
At the end of the day, it should be fun, and if you follow these tips, you can ensure everyone has a great time — even you, the host.
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Plan ahead
This seems obvious, but taking steps in the week ahead of the big game will save you so many headaches when Sunday comes around.
Drinks
Let’s face it, for most, drinking and Super Bowl parties go together like sour cream and onion. So you have to plan ahead to accommodate all that encompasses.
First off, your guests are going to bring drinks. A lot of them. How are you going to accommodate that onslaught? First, we recommend preparing by faithfully clearing out the fridge in the week leading up to the game. Every inch of real estate is going to be valuable as people show up with 24-packs of beer and dozens of White Claws.
If limited fridge space is an intractable problem, then invest in a cooler that can be left on the back porch or in the living room. We love the Yeti Tundra 35 Cooler because it’s huge and will be an investment you’ll be happy you made when it’s time to tailgate at the next concert or baseball game (or even on a car-camping trip).
If you’d prefer to not spend that much on a cooler, that’s fine. All we suggest is avoiding the foam one-use coolers at all costs. They’re terrible for the environment and aren’t even that effective. Instead, go with something more economical (that will still have long-term value) like this classic model from Igloo.
Make sure you have ice and nonalcoholic drinks on hand. It’s so easy to overlook ice when you’re shopping for the big game, but failing to plan ahead for ice is frequently hosts’ biggest regret. And there are going to be attendees who don’t want to drink alcohol. So having soda, lemonade, iced tea, and other non-alcoholic drinks on hand will be appreciated.
Finally, the game is played on a Sunday — meaning, at the end of the party, a day of work is just hours away. We recommend stocking up on beer and wine, and staying away from the hard liquor, to avoid (or at least lessen the chances of) a truly terrible Monday marred by a nasty hangover. By the same token, offer people water as the game is coming to a close.
Seating
Seating is always a tough issue to navigate at larger viewing parties. Some people want to be front-and-center and not miss a second of action; others want to talk through the game action and just care about the Super Bowl commercials and halftime show (but only kinda).
A good rule of thumb is to prepare prime-viewing seating for at least 80% of attendees. The last 20% can get creative with where they sit, and you’d be surprised how able people are at self-selecting for where they’d like to plop down during the big game.
But to accommodate that last 20% of people who won’t have chairs/spots on the couch, we recommend stocking up on “flex seating.” This means grabbing lots of comfortable pillows that people can use to make sitting on the floor more comfortable. Also, don’t hold back: Grab those captain chairs that you only use camping. Your guests will understand that this is a unique situation.
Food
When you’re designing the menu, plan heavily on Super Bowl party foods that you can prepare the day before and then leave in the refrigerator until guests start arriving. This way, you aren’t a frantic mess around game time and people have Super Bowl party food items available to them when they get to your place.
Timing is key, and anything you can take care of the day before is something you’ll be happy you did.
Also, messes are going to happen. Prepare for them by stocking up on Tide Pens and trash cans/bags. That way, when one of your guests spills a hefty chunk of seven-layer dip on their shirt, they can take care of it and keep having fun without being embarrassed for the rest of the game. And if you have trash cans readily available all over the party space, your guests won’t leave their plates and cups all over the house for you to clean after they depart.
Accordingly, you’re going to want to stock up on one-use plates ahead of time. Using your own plates isn’t practical and there’s nothing worse than being left with a huge mess after a fun afternoon of partying (especially with Monday looming). So, to avoid being overly wasteful, we recommend buying compostable plates in bulk. They aren’t as eco-friendly as washing off your plates, but it’s better than getting plastic plates/cutlery.
Accommodate the non-football fans first
The reasoning behind this tip is straight forward: The diehard football fans only need an angle to watch the TV from — everything else is secondary and doesn’t really matter. But what about the people who haven’t seriously watched a game in their entire life and frankly could not care less but want to hang with friends? Those are the people worth preparing for.
One solution: Make fun Super Bowl party games. We love designing your own Bingo cards that will help non-football fanatics engaged with the game and having fun. You can include squares like, “Crazy touchdown dance,” “Tear-jerking commercial,” and “Surprise guest at the halftime show.” Basically everything is in play, and the Super Bowl always has the same basic elements, so it’s easy to predict enough outcomes that will leave the bingo players checking off squares all game.
Another way to keep non-football fans having fun: Highlight commercials. There are studies, admittedly most of which were commissioned by marketing agencies, that suggest that more people watch the Super Bowl for the commercials than for the game. So keep an active conversation going about them. At halftime, ask your guests what their favorite ad was. This is a rare case where you can let your opinions fly without offending anyone (unless there’s someone in the room who worked on the Doritos commercial, of course). So have fun with it. The same principle applies to the halftime show. Everyone can be a critic during the Super Bowl, and you should encourage it.
Don’t spend too much time/money on decorations
Super Bowl decorations are great for enhancing the mood and atmosphere of your party, but most people won’t care too much about the decorations. They’ll be more focused on the game. If you want to spring for decorations, this football-themed set includes cups, napkins, plates and two table runners.
Instead of exerting your energy on elaborate decorations, your time will be much better spent on deep cleaning your house before guests arrive. The chore to prioritize is vacuuming. People are going to be more intimate with your floor than any other day of the year — what with them sitting on the floor and all.
We recommend investing in a top-flight vacuum (especially if you have pets and want to minimize the amount of pet hair your guests take home as souvenirs). Our favorite is this model of the Ball by Dyson. It’s powerful to make the job go quicker — and it will be something you’re happy you spent on long after the NFL season is over.
Another highly recommended product for preparing for guests: A robotic vacuum. You no longer have to pay a premium for the “Roomba” name — as you can now get comparable performance from a more affordable brand. The technology has become widespread, and that’s a benefit to the consumer. By adding a robotic vacuum to the mix, you’ll have more time to prepare other areas of the house.
One final note on cleaning the house: The work doesn’t end when guests arrive. Quite the opposite. Trust us, you’re going to want to keep some cleaning supplies on hand for when the plates of dip start circulating throughout your living room. This means stocking up on paper towels and all-purpose cleaners to ensure your counters and furniture makes it even if one guest manages to get everything everywhere (which is more likely than most would like to think). Our favorite is this eco-friendly variety that cleans as good as the more harmful stuff.
Top game-day technology
Best TV for your viewing party
At the core of it all, the TV is the main attraction on game day. And those who are in the market for an upgrade are in good luck. The market has never been friendlier to the consumer. High-end technology has become ubiquitous, and there are so many sellers out there, so prices have plummeted while features have become more accessible.
LG C3 Series 65-Inch Class OLED 4K TV
The picture that this model produces is frankly stunning. It’s the pinnacle of what you can expect from a 4K TV for watching sports, streaming movies and gaming. This 65-inch OLED TV features LG’s exclusive ThinQ AI technology for solid picture quality and performance. Brightness Booster improves brightness with high contrast, even in well-lit rooms. It’s got Dolby Atmos for surround sound and a high response rate for crisp, smooth imagery. This LG TV includes a smart remote with voice control.
Best sound system for watching football
The way modern televisions are designed practically makes buying a soundbar a necessity. With TVs optimizing a sleek, slim appearance, there’s little space in the hardware to produce rich sound.
That’s where soundbars come in. The technology is relatively simple by design. They take all of the complicated aspects of setting up a surround sound set up and consolidate the number of pieces of equipment you need. You no longer need an equalizer, several auxiliary speakers, a subwoofer, and yards of cord to have rich, dynamic sound to accompany your game watch. Instead, invest in a simple-to-install system and experience almost all of the benefits with much less work up front.
If you truly want to blow your guests away, set up your house with a Sonos soundbar. It’s easy to set up, and when it’s operational, your guests won’t miss any action no matter where they are in the house because you can set every system in the network to play the audio from the game.
It requires a significant initial investment, but it’s a setup that you’ll love you have every day of the year and will really impress your guests for the big game. Yes, it’s expensive — but you can’t beat the simplicity and the sheer coolness of having a house filled with Sonos speakers, the best option for those who demand the best.
Best ways to watch the Super Bowl
With so many people cutting the cord, figuring out how you are going to watch the game has become more of a question than ever before.
Recent cord-cutters should have a plan in place — because it’s not as simple in the old days when you could turn the TV on and it was on one of the few channels available. It’s still on one of those classic channels, of course, but those aren’t available to just anyone. And you absolutely do not want to leave finding a stream up to chance.
This year, the game is on CBS. Or, you can sign up for Paramount+. Nickelodeon, will also be broadcasting a kid-friendly version that will feature SpongeBob SquarePants and his band performing “Sweet Victory.”
Tips for taking your Super Bowl food to the next level
Free up stove/oven space
Guests are going to come over with half-concocted dishes that are going to put stress on the appliances in your kitchen. Prepare by planning as many dishes that don’t require the range as possible. To do this, you’ll need the right tools.
Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker
If you don’t have an Instant Pot already, take this as your opportunity to understand how helpful it can be in a number of different avenues. First, it’s the best for those nights when you want to eat something delicious but don’t have the energy to manage several different simmering dishes at once.
The same usefulness will apply on Super Bowl Sunday. Late getting the pulled-pork recipe in the slow cooker? No sweat! Pop it in the Instant Pot an hour before guests arrive, and it will be ready with time to spare by the time they’re hungry and looking for a sandwich. Adding an Instant Pot to your arsenal will help take at least one dish away from your fore-focus, and you’ll be thankful for that.
Crock-Pot Cook and Carry 6-Quart Manual Slow Cooker
Crock Pots are your best friend on the day of the big game. They can prepare and then keep warm all the dips you want. They can make standard game-day fare (pulled meats, chilis, and other easy-to-make offerings).
You’ll want to scale the number of slow cookers you employ according to the number of guests you have. People will appreciate the slow-cooked goodness (because some items just taste better the more time you give them to prepare) and you will be happy to go with some leftovers if you overestimate how much food you need — just remember to keep some extra food-storage containers on hand.
Keep it (somewhat) healthy
GoWise USA 5.8-Quart 8-in-1 Digital Air Fryer
Having an air fryer in the kitchen on Super Bowl Sunday accomplishes two major goals: You’ll be able to prepare delicious items like french fries or chicken tenders that everyone will eat up; and you’ll keep it relatively healthy in the meantime.
The air fryer uses a fraction of the oil that other fried dishes require, and it makes a difference in the nutrition of the item without detracting from the taste. That seems like a worthy investment to us — especially when you acknowledge that it creates even more space on the stovetop.
You can’t overdo it
If you have a recipe you’ve always wanted to try, now is the chance. You’re going to have a crowd of hungry people over and they’re going to be predisposed to trying new things and gorging a little bit.
Maybe you’re inviting over kindred spirits who just love to make new dishes? In that case, have a dip contest. Everyone brings a dip of their making, and let the best chef win. You really can’t screw it up because Super Bowl Sunday isn’t a day for diets or being a picky eater — it’s a day for enjoying company and letting yourself go a little bit.
Bottom line
Super Bowl Sunday is an important day for most Americans because it brings us together and allows us to share in the things we love most — sports, spectacle and food.
Don’t stress about all the things you need to do to prepare for that deluge of people: Prepare for them to come, get the work done early and then enjoy everyone’s company.
After all, it only comes around once a year.
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