Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, will host Super Bowl 59, the same venue that experienced an infamous power outage, which halted Super Bowl 47 for 34 minutes in 2013. The anticipation is high with the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles competing in this year’s championship. However, memories of the previous blackout raise an important question, could history repeat itself?
Let’s look at what happened in Super Bowl 47 and whether similar issues could arise in Super Bowl 59.
The Super Bowl 47 Blackout: What Happened And Why?
Super Bowl 47, held on February 3, 2013, featured the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers. The Ravens took a commanding 28-6 lead early in the third quarter after Jacoby Jones returned a kickoff for a 108-yard touchdown. However, just as the 49ers started their next drive, a power failure plunged part of the Superdome into darkness. The blackout lasted for 34 minutes, causing widespread confusion among players, fans, and officials.
Investigations later revealed that the outage was caused by a relay device that had been installed to prevent power failures but malfunctioned instead. Entergy, the company responsible for providing power to the stadium, stated that the issue was an “abnormality” that triggered an automatic shutdown. The blackout primarily affected the side of the stadium where the 49ers’ bench, press box, and TV and radio booths were located. Backup generators provided partial lighting, but the game could not resume until full power was restored.
Could A Blackout Happen Again At Super Bowl 59?
Super Bowl 59 will be the first time New Orleans has hosted the event since the infamous blackout. However, Entergy and stadium officials assured fans that they implemented significant upgrades and redundancies to prevent another outage. They decommissioned the relay device responsible for the 2013 blackout and installed additional power systems to ensure an uninterrupted event.
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Entergy has cited several major events hosted at the Superdome since 2013, including the College Football Playoff, WrestleMania, the men’s NCAA Final Four, and concerts by Taylor Swift and Beyonce, all without any power failures. The company has worked closely with the Super Bowl Host Committee and city officials for over a year to secure a reliable power supply. Despite these assurances, concerns remain, especially given New Orleans’ history of infrastructure challenges. If an outage were to occur again, backup systems would likely prevent a prolonged delay, but the NFL and fans will be watching closely to see if the Superdome can avoid another embarrassing incident.
