The game was played on January 25, 1998, at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California, the second time that the Super Bowl was held in that city.

The bidding process was scheduled to award two Super Bowl sites (XXXI and XXXII), the first time that multiple hosts were selected at the same meeting since XXIII and XXIV were voted on in 1985.

San Diego representatives, meanwhile promised to add 12,000 temporary seats to Jack Murphy Stadium to counter the Rose Bowl's capacity advantage.

The previous three Super Bowl losses were under starting quarterback John Elway, whose ad-libbing skills enabled the Broncos to advance to the league's championship game in a span of three out of four seasons.

[18] The game was televised in the United States by NBC, with play-by-play announcer Dick Enberg (calling his eighth and final Super Bowl), color commentators Phil Simms and Paul Maguire, and sideline reporter Jim Gray.

Greg Gumbel hosted all the events and was joined by co-host Ahmad Rashad and commentators Cris Collinsworth, Sam Wyche, and Joe Gibbs.

During the game, NBC (partnering with Silicon Graphics Inc.) included real-time 3D computer graphics on SGI's Onyx2 computers to display a model of Qualcomm Stadium and simulating real-time animation of action such as receiver patterns and yards after the catch; along with a second model known as "Football Guy", which allowed viewers to see defensive players from the quarterback's vantage point, accompanied by commentary by Randy Cross.

CBS was awarded the AFC package for the 1998 season, and NBC would not return to covering the NFL until 2006 when they signed on to televise Sunday Night Football and then Super Bowl XLIII in February 2009.

The halftime show was titled "A Tribute to Motown's 40th Anniversary" and featured Boyz II Men, Smokey Robinson, Queen Latifah, Martha Reeves and The Temptations.

[citation needed] Instead, he perfectly executed the play, drawing the Green Bay defense into the middle of the line and allowing Elway to rush into the end zone on the right completely untouched.

On the Packers' ensuing possession, Broncos safety Steve Atwater strip-sacked Favre, and defensive end Neil Smith recovered the fumble on the Green Bay 33-yard line.

Despite being unable to get a first down, Denver nonetheless capitalized on the turnover when kicker Jason Elam kicked a 51-yard field goal, then the second-longest in Super Bowl history, to increase their lead to 17–7.

Both teams exchanged punts on their next possessions, and Denver safety Dedrick Dodge downed punter Tom Rouen's 47-yard kick at Green Bay's 5-yard line with 7:38 left in the half.

On the first play after the second half kickoff, Davis fumbled the ball while surrounded by several defenders; Packers cornerback Tyrone Williams recovered, giving Denver excellent field position on the Green Bay 26-yard line.

On the ensuing punt Broncos defensive back Tony Veland was called for an offsides penalty, giving the Packers another new set of downs near midfield.

However, Green Bay was forced to replay the punt when long snapper Rob Davis was flagged for going downfield as an ineligible player, but punter Craig Hentrich's 51-yard kick pinned Denver back at their own 8-yard line.

On 3rd-and-6 from the 12-yard line, Elway scrambled for an 8-yard run and dove for the first down, a play in which he was hit so hard by three Packers defenders that he spun sideways in mid-air.

On the ensuing kickoff, Denver fullback Detron Smith ran full speed into the wedge of the Green Bay blockers, forcing Freeman outside, to his left.

Hentrich then punted the ball 39 yards to the Packers' 49-yard line, giving Denver a chance for a potential game-winning drive with only 3:27 left in the game.

A holding penalty on tight end Shannon Sharpe nullified an 8-yard touchdown run by Davis and pushed the Broncos back to the 18-yard line.

With 42 seconds remaining Favre's pass to Freeman hit him in both hands and the chest at the Denver 15, but Broncos cornerback Darian Gordon stripped the ball loose.

On third down Favre passed to Brooks, covered by cornerback Randy Hilliard, but a hard hit to both by Atwater broke it up (and sent all three players out of the game).

Although play had been stopped for an injury time out, NFL rules governing the final two minutes of a game charged both teams with a time-out, erasing Green Bay's last.

With 32 seconds remaining and Green Bay facing 4th-and-6 on the Denver 31-yard line, Favre threw a short pass over the middle intended to tight end Mark Chmura.

[26] Eighteen years later, Elway, now the general manager for the team, would salute an Alzheimer's-stricken Bowlen in the same fashion after the Broncos won Super Bowl 50.

[27] Denver's offensive performance had been so consistent that except for two penalties and Elway's kneel-downs to end each half, the Broncos did not lose yardage on any play from scrimmage.

Green Bay's Reggie White, Gilbert Brown, LeRoy Butler and others were unable to register a sack against the Broncos' front line.

He became the sixth player to score touchdowns in three different Super Bowls, joining Lynn Swann, Franco Harris, Thurman Thomas, Jerry Rice, and Emmitt Smith.

Freeman also tied himself for second all-time in touchdown catches in Super Bowls with three, joining Lynn Swann, John Stallworth, and Cliff Branch, trailing only Rice's eight.

John Robison was originally assigned as the field judge, but was pulled by Vice President of Officiating Jerry Seeman after he missed a call in the Vikings-Giants wild card game.