There is more excitement than usual in a Super Bowl host city this year.
The venue, Tampa, Florida, was pre-decided and for the first time in history it means that the home team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, will get to play in their home stadium when they take on the reigning champions the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.
But it is not the only first. Most of the seats in the stadium this year will be filled by cardboard cut-outs because of coronavirus restrictions.
There will be 22,000 fans allowed in the stands and 7,500 of them will be vaccinated healthcare workers who were given free tickets by the NFL.
Jon Barker is the NFL's Vice President of live events and he says they are taking lots of safety precautions this year.
"Every fan, guest and worker when they arrive, will receive a KN-95 mask. They will receive bacterial wipes, hand wipes, a safety card and everyone will be in masks," he said.
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The pandemic has also affected advertising.
Big companies such as Budweiser, Coca-Cola, Pepsi and Audi have said they will not be running their traditional Super Bowl ads.
With a 30-second advertising slot costing around $5.5 million, Anheuser-Busch, Budweiser's parent company, announced it will instead spend the money on coronavirus vaccination awareness efforts.
Tampa, Florida has two reasons to celebrate, both hosting and playing in the Super Bowl. The city was determined to hold the event, despite all of the current restrictions and enhanced precautions.
Santiago Corrada is the President and CEO of 'Visit Tampa Bay' and he says they are ready for the big day.
"We've hosted during the Gulf War, we hosted during the recession in 2009. Now we have the pandemic in play and we've had to adjust.
"If I was in a different city with a different team maybe there would be some concerns and doubts, but I know the people here very, very well so I'm not worried," he said.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had been struggling in recent years, but everything changed this season with the arrival of star quarterback Tom Brady, the man known as G.O.A.T - the 'Greatest of All Time'.
Right now, there is a challenger for that title in the form of the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who, at 25, is 18 years younger than Brady.
After a very difficult year for the hospitality sector, bars across the US are banking on a Super Bowl boost this weekend.
Rossa O'Leary is the manager of 'Kirwan's on the Wharf' Irish bar in Washington DC.
"We're hopeful that people will come out and enjoy the Super Bowl and it might take their minds off what has been a terrible year.
"It's been a really tough time for bars and restaurants but in particular for anyone who has lost loved ones.
"We are starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel and hopefully this Super Bowl weekend will mark the start of a return to some normality," he said.
Whether in bars, homes or on the street, fans are being encouraged to gather safely as they wait to see who will be crowned the 'greatest'.
