Well, this is really an exciting finish. And we’ve come to the natural end of this non-football blog. President Bush tossed the coin, Gaga rocked the house, many different trailers and ads were pored over. It’s been great fun, and thanks loads for reading. Over to the main football blog to follow this wild Super Bowl:

LeBron James drinks Sprite to keep him big and strong.

We’re at the two-minute warning. And it’s hotting up! Follow all the action here:

Guess he only likes winning.

Donald Trump left his Super Bowl party and headed home not long after half time. He said he was backing the Patriots, who have been trailing since the start.

“Potus’s motorcade pulled into Mar-a-Lago at 9.06 pm, just seconds after the Patriots missed extra point,” according to the pool report.

The Coen brothers are back with this classy Mercedes-Benz ad, their Easy Rider spoof featuring Henry Fonda.

Kristen Schaal for T-Mobile: very funny.

Adwatch – Bud Light

The return of Bud Light late-1980s mascot Spuds MacKenzie, who made his debut during Super Bowl XXI in 1987. In this ad, the ghostly figure of Spuds appears to dispense advice to a man who really needs his help – because he’s decided to stay home like a plum instead of going to watch the game with his friends.

According to Bud Light, Spuds MacKenzie’s “affinity for living life to the fullest with friends, both old and new, embodied the spirit of Bud Light that we still honor today.” OK great.

Lanre Bakare has reviewed Lady Gaga’s half-time show. Have a read:

We’re through three quarters, and we’re moving towards the end. Falcons lead – and they’re heading towards their first NFL championship.

Movie trailer – Baywatch

While a Baywatch movie might seem like dictionary definition of unnecessary, this summer take on the cheesy show is going the 21 Jump Street route, meaning that it might actually be fun because it knows it’s unnecessary. Frustratingly, the jokes here have mostly been shown already in the main trailer which is a worrying sign that, well, maybe that’s all they have ...

Movie trailer – A Cure for Wellness

“Are you tired of not feeling well?” – a parody of a medication ad here for this loopy new horror film set in a wellness center. It’s a smart way of selling it, ridicules the often staggering list of side effects listed in a drugs ad and leaves us with the rapid selection of creepy cuts that we expect from the genre.

Brand fatigue is imminent, but that won’t stop TV pushing more ads down our throats. Fiji Waiter tell us that “Fiji Water is a gift from nature to us” – but it doesn’t stop them selling it at $3.98 a liter.

TV trailer - Stranger Things

Quite possibly the trailer that will have the most people tweeting this year is an early look at the second season of Netflix’s breakout hit. It looks like they’re going for the Alien rule of doubling up for the second chapter with an increase in the horror element and what looks like a giant monster in the creepy final shot. Plus the kids in Ghostbusters outfits. It’s probably spawned 15 BuzzFeed lists already.

Some more Gaga pics:

A bit of the very good and funny Melissa McCarthy, in this spot for Kia. Incidentally, her Sean Spicer on SNL on Saturday night was so, so great.

Ad watch – Budweiser

“You don’t look like you’re from around here.”

This politically charged commercial from Budweiser has been causing a quite a stir since it debuted in the week. Anheuser-Busch, Budweiser’s owners, says the ad was not created with political intent – but the parallels between today’s politics and the message in the ad are certainly evident.

This spot tells the (fictionalised) story of Adolphus Busch, who leaves Germany for America in 1857 to follow his dreams and make something of himself as a master brewer. In this filmic, sweeping commercial, Busch endures a perilous voyage across the Atlantic, a fire onboard a paddle steamer – but the key motif is the hostility and rancour he receives from the locals, who don’t take kindly to the accented immigrant from an ocean away.

Budweiser makes a big deal of this, showing Busch being jostled and harried upon arrival, and greeted with cries of: “You’re not wanted here! Go back home!” In spite of this, Busch gets to St Louis, meets Eberhard Anheuser, and the pair go on to brew the beer so quintessentially American it actually emblazoned its cans with ‘America’ last summer.

Of course, it’s merely coincidence that the spot was released just after President Trump’s travel ban took effect, but the timing certainly gives the ad an extra frisson. It’s already roused the ire of Sarah Palin and Breitbart, among others, for being “pro-immigrant,” as if that were something deeply iniquitous. The payoff line? When Nothing Stops Your Dreams. It’s a fine, and thoughtful, ad. TH

Oh, and it’s the ad that’s been roiling plenty of people this week: Budweiser.

A couple of ad spots worth catching up on – the NFL’s Super Bowl babies and Mr Clean’s tight butt.

We’ve started again in the football, but the consensus seemed to be that Gaga rocked the house. No overt political statement from Lady G, but a message of inclusivity – and the first time the word transgender was sung at the Super Bowl.

Well, that was quite something. The NFL liked it, too:

And here’s some rather incredible perspective on the sheer scale of her show:

There aren’t many performers who could sing this well with the amount of athletics she’s doing up on stage. It’s an energetic show for sure and she’s just done a jump off the stage, throwing the mic down as she goes.

That’s it! No crazy guests or big statement but hugely impressive work from Gaga. It’s a smart career move for her after a slowed down experimental album of sorts. The Beyhive will have to wait for the Grammys instead ...

She just held the hands of some fans who will likely never be washing again and now it’s Bad Romance. She’s lost that jacket and is now wearing a Gaga take on some NFL gear. The stage is full of another set of dancers, all dressed in white.

It’s all going rather well so far but will she find time to make an anti-Trump statement?

“We’re here to make you feel good!” Gaga just excitedly said to the audience. She’s remarkably in charge of an ambitious stage as she sings A Million Reasons from her latest album Joanne, which has jumped right back up the charts this week.

She also just gave a quick shout-out to her parents, which is understandable given the circumstances.

Now to her first ever track Just Dance and she’s got a bit cold so is now wearing a gold tinsel jacket. The stage is also full of men with strange S&M puffer jackets.

You can check out some of her intro here:

Telephone is up now - her hit duet with Beyonce. She’s doing some rather dicey stage school acting with a fake phone but most are just eagerly waiting to see if Bey turns up, a rumor that’s been circulating all week. Doesn’t look like it ...

Okay and now she’s moved straight to Born This Way, her gay anthem that still sounds awfully like a Madonna rip-off. The choice to sing this is clearly a dig at Trump and Pence and some of their proposed policies. She gets an A+ for energy.

Gaga has started off with Poker Face, a nice nod to the kind of music which made her famous after a rather odd country pop album. She’s got some sort of Terminator 2 style steel stage. Looks dangerous so we’re hoping it’s not too slippy.

Now here’s Gaga! Ben Lee has all the action.

Martha’s excited!

And here’s another ad, called The Journey, that feels especially pointed in the political climate: for 84 Lumber. The company were forced to pull their original ad, which was deemed too controversial by the network.

And here’s Gaga’s much-anticipated ad for Tiffany’s:

“You’re born knowing that Tiffany’s is the best. I am a rebel, but I wouldn’t say that me transforming at 19 was purely because of rebellion. It was more of a sense of power.

“I love to change. It makes me feel alive. Oh it’s pretentious to talk about how creative you are. I don’t feel that way at all. And I’m coming for you.”

Here’s the ad:

As we get ready for Gaga’s halftime show, actress Tracee Ellis Ross (who won a Golden Globe last month for her role in Black-ish) posts a tribute to her mother Diana Ross and her 1996 Super Bowl performance.

Movie trailer - The Fate of the Furious

How did we get here? Well, in an obnoxiously fast car, of course. But yeah here’s a look at the eighth installment of the Fast and Furious franchise. The twist this time is that Vin Diesel’s character has gone rogue and somehow managed to get Oscar winners Charlize Theron and Helen Mirren to come watch. It’s as impressive as it needs to be and at least we’re finally getting our first submarine stunt of the series.

We’ve just gone past the two-minute warning, which means the half-time show is imminent. Stay tuned! In commercial news, an amusing spot from John Malkovich for Squarespace precedes an on-message ad from Wendy’s. Two for two!

Adwatch – Michelob Ultra

Definitely a contender for most irritating ad of the evening. First of all, I don’t think the good people at Michelob should be taking Where Everybody Knows Your Name, the theme tune from Cheers, in vain. It’s not yours to appropriate, Michelob! Second, the link between deeply mediocre beer and attractive people self-absorbedly working out is thin, to say the least. All that whooping and hollering in the name of self-improvement really grates! Come on, now: you’re doing push-ups in a gym; you’re not Nelson Mandela.

“Brewed for those who go the extra mile,” reads the tagline. Pish. TH

If you missed it earlier, here’s Luke Bryan singing the national anthem. It was good!

TV trailer – The Handmaid’s Tale

Get ready for a barrage of “this is the show we need right now” headlines come April when Hulu’s ambitious retelling of Margaret Atwood’s grim dystopian drama hits. The story of an extreme Christian movement overthrowing the government and taking away all of women’s rights is certainly timely and this new spot hints at a loyal adaptation, bleak and clinical yet still packing an emotional punch. It’s also a worthy showcase for two of television’s finest female actors: Elisabeth Moss and Samira Wiley.

A peek at the wild Super Bowl party the president is attending at a golf club in Palm Beach, Florida.

First Lady Melania looks stone-faced. Trump sits next to his chief of staff Reince Priebus, both in suits and red ties. Everyone is sitting in gold dining chairs clustered around tables.

Contrast that with President Obama’s more casual first Super Bowl as president in 2009, where they hosted a party in the family theater.

Another commercial from Coca-Cola. Incidentally, I read a very good essay on Coke in the LA Review a couple of months back, and I’d encourage you to do the same. Capitalism in a Bottle. Quite.

There’s 8min 48sec remaining in the second quarter, so we could be on for an earlier half-time start than last year. Last year, Coldplay and Beyoncé got going at about 8.20pm, but we could be looking at something closer to 8pm.

Tide’s ad with Terry Bradshaw and Jeffrey Tambor has been well received. Watch it: it’s funny!

First touchdown of the game, if anyone cares. And a first look for Honda, featuring Steve Carell and Missy Elliott, among others. (It’s like the curate’s egg. Good in parts.) Also, drinks company Bai just released their keenly anticipated spot with Justin Timberlake and Christopher Walken.

Movie trailer – Transformers: The Last Knight

The Transformers franchise has made over $3.7bn at the global box office. Let that sink in. Because despite critics saving their best insults for each new installment, fans have continued to make the films profitable which has led us to this dark place: awaiting a fifth feature-length fight between robots. Mark Wahlberg returns and is joined by Anthony Hopkins, who might just be lost, and from this spot, what looks like a vague attempt at political allegory!

Movie trailer – Logan

Yep, another one of them Marvel films but thankfully this is looking a tad different from the rest. Another Wolverine film as well but one for grown ups with an R rating and reports of graphic violence and a grittier tone. It’s Hugh Jackman’s swansong as the character but you can expect a reboot within months...

Adwatch - Yellow Tail

Yellow Tail, an Australian wine brand, premiered a cheesy ad with fake kangaroos djing and a man in a yellow suit.

As the resident Australian in this live blog, I can confirm Yellow Tail is like Foster’s for wine (heavily exported and not something you should turn up at a dinner party with), and this ad relies on some pretty outdated Aussie cliches. Bikinis! Beaches! Barbecues!

Australian model Ellie Gonsalves strolls down the beach and is asked: “do you want to pet my roo?”, and she replies yes.

No Australian would pet a roo. That is insanely stupid and likely to end badly.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

Fans weren’t 100% sure if there would be a tease for Disney’s big budget sequel but it’s landed and gives us the first look at Johnny Depp back in character. It looks a bit more spectacular than usual but Depp is on quite the losing streak so it’s questionable whether there’ll be enough of an appetite for this.

Adwatch – T-Mobile

T-Mobile loves to get its claws into a a celeb. Last year’s Super Bowl ad starred Drake; the year before, Kim Kardashian. And this year it’s no different: Justin Bieber is T-Mobile’s man, alongside Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski and former NFL star Terrell Owens, trying to make the link between the “unlimited moves” of touchdown celebrations and unlimited the data sold by a telecoms behemoth.

There’s lots to enjoy here: Gronk as a caveman, TO “taking it to the next level,” Biebs, in glasses and a tux, acting the giddy goat. It’s perhaps a slightly tenuous concept, but it’s pulled off with great panache, and it’s charming. Go Biebs. TH

Adwatch – Buick

Cam Newton’s Panthers aren’t involved this year, but he is, in this reasonably amusing ad for Buick. It’s a variation on that old “Well, if he’s a so-and-so, then I’m a Dutchman!” line. In this case: if that gorgeous, sleek vehicle in the parking lot is a Buick, then my kid is Cam Newton on the football field. And then the real Cam Newton comes in to the game, which is nice, because it’s always fun to see eight-year-old kids getting hustled to the floor by a 6ft 5in, 245lb NFL quarterback. Watch out for Miranda Kerr’s gratuitous appearance at the end. TH

More ads! And our first look of Tom Brady in his off time, hawking Intel. Is his house as dispiritingly lavish as that in real life? Probably. Then a look for Yellow Tail, which, according to Adweek, is the first wine ad to air in 40 years.

A minor stoppage in play, which means more ads. A bit of Busch, or should that be Buschhhhh, and then some pretty standard stuff from the American Petroleum Institute. GoDaddy rounds out a pretty unmemorable trio.

Texas political royalty made a Super Bowl appearance, with President George H W Bush, 92, and wife Barbara Bush, 91, making their first public appearance since a recent hospital stay to perform the coin toss (Atlanta won).

The pair missed Trump’s inauguration as they recovered from illness, with both being admitted to hospital on January 18.

The former president was only discharged from hospital six days ago and was wheeled out in a wheelchair, but waved and smiled at the crowd, and tossed that coin most ably.

H&R Block are creating a special future with Watson, or something. “Welcome to taxes won,” says Jon Hamm, Block’s new pitch man. Then it’s Skittles’ Romance the Rainbow spot, which you can see here:

Adwatch – Avocados From Mexico

A nice ad from those good people at Avocados from Mexico, based around the the “dirty secret” that avocados are full of good fat. “How can we be a secret society if we can’t keep all of our secrets?” asks the crumpled head of this slightly shambolic clandestine organisation, which has gathered to discuss how to ramp up security and avoid spilling the beans.

I like this ad. It’s funny, and well acted, and its motif is clear, and there’s a good gag about Deflategate. Plus, I like the reference to the Stonecutters episode of The Simpsons. Who enjoys avo-ca-do? We do … And so on. TH

The first ad break of the game, and Google flex their muscles with an ad for Google Home, their great passion after tax avoidance. Then one of our favourites, Avocados from Mexico.

Last year, guest performer Beyoncé overshadowed Coldplay in their Super Bowl half-time show, with a week of news afterwards focusing on her politically-fueled performance and dancers dressed as Black Panthers.

This year Gaga may also make a political comment in her performance (LGBTQ rights is a passion topic of hers) but she will be doing it alone: taking to Instagram to confirm she’ll have no guest performers.

“I’m doing these 13 minutes solo!” she writes. (Yes, for all the hoopla, it’s only 13 minutes).

Pink footballer on the keys:

It seems as though the general consensus was that Luke Bryan really “brought it”, as they say, for the national anthem. “Nailed it,” opines Sheryl Crow on Twitter.

OK, we’re off in the football. If you wish to follow the game, Hunter and Tom are here:

And a lovely moment: 41st president George HW Bush, now aged 92, and his wife Barbara are presented to the crowd before the coin toss. Everyone’s standing, and the applause is weighty. President Bush tosses tails, and New England will receive.

Just before Luke Bryan belted out the anthem, he posted a cheeky snap of him and his wife Caroline Boyer riding in golf buggy in the stadium.

An early look for McDonald’s in the pre-game ad slot, followed by Aflac, and that irritating duck. Then Coca-Cola goes full-on mawkish, with America the Beautiful sung in various languages of the world over images of American physical splendor. Together is Beautiful. Right on.

Movie trailer – Ghost in the Shell

The majority of column inches devoted to Paramount’s big budget manga adaptation have been focused on the controversial decision to whitewash the Japanese source material by casting Scarlett Johansson in the lead. The latest spot does little to assuage any fears given that ScarJo’s cybernetic human is still the whitest person in Japan. There’s some fancy imagery at play (her face, that geisha) but it’s got a slightly dated post-Matrix knockoff vibe. Plus, ermmm, it is from the director of Snow White and the Huntsman ...

Movie trailer – Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2

Arguably the only Marvel franchise to still warrant much excitement, the Guardians sequel hits this summer with sky high expectations. The new spot reminds us of the key characters, uses some rock music and does the job quite nicely. If audiences can battle through superhero fatigue, it could be the season’s biggest hit.

Country star Luke Bryan is out to sing the national anthem, which sets the stage for one of the most popular wagers on the Super Bowl prop bet menu. Will the length of Bryan’s rendition exceed 130 seconds ... or won’t it? Jimmy Traina broke down this wager (and many more) for the Guardian this week. Here’s his analysis:

National anthem over 130.00 seconds -140

National anthem under 130.00 seconds +100

• Tip: Country star Luke Bryan will perform the Star-Spangled Banner before kickoff and the wager is timed from the start of the first note until the final note is complete. Here are how the past 11 Super Bowl national anthems have timed out. Based on these numbers, under looks like the play.

Super Bowl XL – Aaron Neville and Aretha Franklin – 2min 8sec

Super Bowl XLI – Billy Joel – 1min 30sec

Super Bowl XLII – Jordin Sparks – 1min 54sec

Super Bowl XLIII – Jennifer Hudson – 2min 10sec

Super Bowl XLIV – Carrie Underwood – 1min 47sec

Super Bowl XLV – Christina Aguilera – 1min 54sec

Super Bowl XLVI – Kelly Clarkson – 1min 34sec

Super Bowl XLVII – Alicia Keys – 2min 35sec

Super Bowl XLVIII – Renée Fleming – 1min 54sec

Super Bowl XLIX – Idina Menzel – 2min 4sec

Super Bowl 50 – Lady Gaga – 2min 9sec

We’re also going to share some movie trailers with you. Look out for them throughout the big game.

Movie trailer– Life

For those who felt shortchanged by Interstellar, The Martian, Gravity and Passengers all being set in space but having precisely zero aliens between them, this year has not one but two films to set this straight. Before Alien: Covenant tries to repair the damage of Prometheus, Ryan Reynolds and Jake Gyllenhaal will do battle with a nasty little thing in this eerie new sci-fi thriller. The spot continues the sterling work of the initial teaser and all but guarantees that in cinemas, everyone will be able to hear you scream this summer.

Fox gets patriotic before the big game. A little montage in tribute to America, featuring Johnny Cash reciting Ragged Old Flag.

See more here:

Luke Bryan, the country star, is going to do what Gaga did last year, and sing the national anthem. Bryan said this week: “Through this process, I’ve kinda gone back through the years and watched how people approached the anthem, and just tried to figure out in my mind how I wanted to approach it. It’s a big moment for me and I’m excited to get out there and hopefully put my stamp on it.”

Hopefully!

Gaga’s almost ready.

We’re about 40 minutes or so away from kick-off, which is set for 6.30pm ET. If last year’s Super Bowl is any guide, the half-time show should get going at about 8.20pm ET.

CNN has reported that Lady Gaga’s half-time performance will feature hundreds of lit-up drones. Clearly, FAA’s ban on drones within a 34½-mile radius of NRG Stadium from 4 until 11.59pm doesn’t apply.

Super Bowl Sunday, of course, means a chance to see some of the biggest ads of the year. The usual suspects have all bought spots – Honda, Bud Light, Audi, Skittles – but perhaps one of the most talked-about is Budweiser’s ad, which has roiled plenty of people on social media since it was released online a few days ago.

Elsewhere, Snickers will be airing the Super Bowl’s first ever live-action ad, featuring Adam Driver; National Geographic makes its Super Bowl debut directly after half-time; and Justin Timberlake, Justin Bieber, Melissa McCarthy and John Malkovich are among the celebrities set to feature, hawking various brands.

A 30-second ad for this year’s Super Bowl reportedly costs about $5m.

Lady Gaga’s been talking to Fox’s Michael Strahan about her big half-time extravaganza:

“I’m doing really well, and I’m really happy. I’m extremely inspired: the half-time show is such a coveted event. You have 13 minutes with the world! It’s showtime.”

Gaga says that of the Super Bowl half-time shows, she’s watched “every single one”. Michael Jackson and Bruce Springsteen are particular inspirations to Lady G. “I have an opportunity to show that those who think they are different from me and our fans … to see that we, our hearts, are the same.

“I just really hope that people get lost in it. When you play a dive bar you should play it like it’s the Garden. When I play the NRG Stadium, I’m going to play it like a dive bar. I’m going to do it my way.”

We’re into the fifth (!) hour of Fox’s pre-game coverage and they’ve just aired Bill O’Reilly’s taped tête-à-tête with Donald Trump. The Fox News veteran is no stranger to the quasi-traditional Super Bowl Sunday presidential interview – he did it with Barack Obama in 2011 and 2014 – and he appears at ease peppering Trump with questions on the refugee travel ban, Iran, Vladimir Putin, the border wall and domestic policy. Then a pivot to the important stuff.

“I like [New England Patriots owner] Bob Kraft, I like Coach Belichick and Tom Brady’s my friend,” Trump says. “I think they’re going to do very well. Tom’s a winner. The coach is a winning coach. There’s less pressure on the Patriots because they’ve been there. Once you’ve done it, there’s less pressure.”

“I hate to make predictions, but I’ll say the Patriots will win by eight points.”

Tim will be here shortly, in the meantime here’s how Lady Gaga has been approaching today’s game:

Amid inquiries about costume changes, special guests and her setlist during a press conference on Thursday, Lady Gaga was posed a question that has intrigued elements of the media before Super Bowl 51 almost as much as the game itself: whether her half-time concert on Sunday will feature a critique of Donald Trump.

The singer revealed little of her plans for the 13-minute concert but indicated that it would include support for the principles of equality and tolerance, rather than barbs directly targeting the occupant of the White House.

“The only statements that I’ll be making during the half-time show are the ones that I have been consistently making during my career. I believe in a passion for inclusion, I believe in the spirit of equality,” Gaga said, adding that she feels that America’s essence is “love and kindness” and “my performance will uphold those philosophies.”

Gaga was a vocal supporter of Hillary Clinton during the campaign, speaking and singing at the Democratic candidate’s final rally on the eve of the election. In the hours after Trump’s victory she was pictured standing on a sanitation truck outside Trump Tower in New York holding a sign that read “Love trumps hate”.

Click her for the full report: