Over/Under Length of Super Bowl National Anthem Opens at 1 Min 59 Seconds After Demi Lovato Confirmed

• Demi Lovato has not performed live since being hospitalized for a drug overdose in the summer of 2018
• Gladys Knight sang the national anthem at Super Bowl LIII (last year) and the singing lasted two minutes and one second
• Four of the last five national anthem renditions at Super Bowls have lasted beyond the two-minute mark

With the Super Bowl just a couple of weeks away, we’re starting to see some of the props for the NFL’s championship game trickle in. That includes the ever-popular national anthem length where an Over/Under has been set for Demi Lovato’s rendition. Will the crooner’s 2020 Super Bowl singing go Over or Under one minute and 59 seconds?

Length Of National Anthem At Super Bowl LIV

Odds taken Jan 15

Super Bowl LIII Anthem Went Over

The 2019 Super Bowl was sung by legendary soul singer Gladys Knight and her rendition went over the number. As you might recall, her total was set anywhere from one minute and 47 seconds  to one minute and 50 seconds.

Although that’s a sizable three-second difference between the lines, in the end, it didn’t matter as her version lasted for two minutes and a second. She hung on to a number of words to emphasize the magnitude of the moment and that’s all it took for the “Over” to hit on this prop.

Four of Last Five Anthems Have Exceeded Two-Minute Mark

As you can imagine, singers stretching out the singing of the national anthem is not a new thing. It’s a big expose for the performer as typically, their album or song sales will see a bit of a spike after performing at the Super Bowl (either anthem or halftime). That means that many of the singers really try to shine rather than just get through it.

After Knight’s delivery lasted over two minutes, that now makes it four of the last five Super Bowl national anthem singings that have gone over the two-minute mark. The lone miss was Pink, who sang the anthem at Super Bowl LII when she lasted one minute and 53 seconds.

That shows us that even with the one singing that fell short of the two-minute mark, it still went over last year’s total. That’s why the oddsmakers are likely making an adjustment here and pushing the number higher than what it was.

How Long Will Lovato’s Delivery Last?

We have a bit of evidence with Lovato as she has sung the national anthem at a few major events in the past. At the 2015 World Series, Lovato was tasked with singing the National Anthem before Game 4 and she sang it in about one minute and 57 seconds. She also sang the anthem at the 2011 World Series and was clearly under two minutes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkTyqIyJ8Zs

However, she also sang the national at the Floyd Mayweather-Conor McGregor fight extravaganza in 2018 but her execution that time was longer. Before that bout, her singing lasted about two minutes and 13 seconds.

The main difference was the ending note for “brave”, which is the final word of the United States national anthem. In the World Series appearances, she was quick to cut through it. At the Mayweather-McGregor fight, she hung on the note, which extended the performance.

What’s the Best Bet?

It’s hard to say how Lovato will handle the 2020 National Anthem at Super Bowl LIV. Keep in mind that this will be her first live performance since 2018 when she was hospitalized for a drug overdose. This will give her the opportunity to rebuild her reputation and show that she’s recuperated.

That being the case, I wouldn’t be surprised if she used this opportunity to announce her return with a big finish in the anthem. And given the recent trends, it seems like the best bet here is to take a shot with the “Over”.