[8][9][10] Due to COVID-19 protocols limiting the stadium's seating capacity to 25,000 fans[11], Super Bowl LV was the least-attended post-merger championship game.

However, it and the 1941 NFL Championship Game (with 13,341 attendees due to World War II restrictions) are declared restricted-attendance events, and ignored for league records.

[28] As of the start of the 2020 NFL season, the league had forbidden on-field entertainment, such as halftime shows and national anthem performances at games with fans.

[29] In case a COVID-19 outbreak forced the postponements of regular season and playoff games, the league stated that Super Bowl LV could have been delayed as far as February 28.

[32] On January 22, 2021, the NFL had originally announced that the game would have 22,000 fans in attendance, 7,500 of whom would be health care workers who had received a COVID-19 vaccine, primarily from the Tampa and central Florida region.

[44] Other than a 40–32 loss against the Las Vegas Raiders in week 5,[45] their only defeat was in the final game of the season against the Los Angeles Chargers, when they rested most of their starters because they had already clinched the No.

The team's leading rusher from 2019, Damien Williams, opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 concerns and because his mother had recently been diagnosed with Stage IV cancer.

To replace Winston, they made arguably the biggest off-season acquisition by signing 20-year veteran Tom Brady, one of the NFL's most decorated players.

Tight end Rob Gronkowski, Brady's teammate in New England and considered one of the greatest in his position, was lured out of retirement and acquired through a trade with the Patriots.

[63] After clinching a first-round bye, the Chiefs defeated the Cleveland Browns 22–17 in the Divisional round to send them to their third straight AFC Championship Game.

[65] Additionally, left tackle Eric Fisher departed the conference championship with a torn Achilles, forcing him to miss the Super Bowl.

[66] The loss of Fisher compounded the Chiefs' offensive line troubles, as right tackle Mitchell Schwartz had been lost earlier in the season with a back injury.

The Buccaneers were only allowed to fire the cannons from the stadium's signature pirate ship for player introductions and after the end of the game, but not during every scoring play and when the offense enters the red zone as they usually would.

In addition, the stadium decor including the replica pirate ship sails were accordingly changed from Buccaneers' logos to those promoting the Super Bowl.

The economic impact of COVID-19 prompted some brands to skip the game, including Avocados from Mexico, Budweiser (its first absence in 37 years), Coca-Cola, Hyundai, and Pepsi (focusing more on its halftime show sponsorship).

[105][106][107][108] Robinhood, which had recently gained mainstream media attention due to the GameStop short squeeze, aired its first Super Bowl commercial at the game.

CBS reported an average of 5.7 million streaming viewers per-minute, a 69% increase year-over-year that made it the most-streamed Super Bowl to-date.

[118] In Australia, the game was broadcast by Melbourne radio station 1116 SEN and commentated by Gerard Whateley[125] A special pre-game concert for the invited health care workers attending the game—the TikTok Tailgate—was held in the afternoon prior to Super Bowl LV, and was headlined by Miley Cyrus, with guest appearances by Joan Jett and Billy Idol.

[129] A pre-game segment addressing racial unrest in the United States and the NFL's Inspire Change campaign featured a pre-recorded performance of "Lift Every Voice and Sing" by Alicia Keys from the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

[130] National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman recited an original poem recognizing the game's three honorary captains participating in the coin toss ceremony, representing essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: Los Angeles teacher Trimaine Davis, Tampa nurse Suzie Dorner and Marine veteran James Martin.

[4] At the end of the national anthem, a flyover was performed by the United States Air Force consisting of their three strategic bombers currently in active service: The Rockwell B-1 Lancer, the Northrop B-2 Spirit, and the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress.

[136] It was reported that he had spent US$7 million of his own money on the show, which featured men dressed in all black with red jackets and bandages on their face as backup dancers.

Tampa Bay's second drive started with a promising 13-yard rush by Ronald Jones II but stalled from there and resulted in another punt by Pinion, this one downed at the Chiefs' 38-yard line.

Edwards-Helaire also had a 10-yard run on the drive, which went for 47 yards in seven plays and concluded with a 52-yard field goal, Butker's third of the game, cutting Kansas City's deficit to 21–9 and were only two touchdowns away from taking the lead.

Although the Buccaneers were only able to gain eleven yards on their next eight plays, they were able to capitalize on the turnover, as Succop ended the drive with a 52-yard field goal, increasing their lead to 31–9.

Kansas City drove the ball to the Buccaneers 10-yard line, but Mahomes threw an interception to Devin White with 1:33 left in the game, which was downed in the end zone for a touchback.

[141] Brady, who completed 21 of 29 passes for 201 yards and three touchdowns, won the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award for a record fifth time in his career.

Gronkowski, who caught only two passes in Tampa Bay's previous three postseason games, was the team's leading receiver with six receptions for 67 yards and two touchdowns.

Kansas City's normal starter at left tackle, Pro Bowl selection Eric Fisher, was out with an achilles tendon injury he suffered in the AFC Championship Game.

Sarah Thomas was the first woman to officiate a Super Bowl and any championship event in the major North American professional sports leagues.