President Donald Trump made headlines last year as the first sitting president to show up at a Super Bowl in person. This year? Not so much. Trump confirmed he won't be attending Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara, California, where the Seattle Seahawks face off against the New England Patriots. But viewers won't miss out on hearing from him entirely.

NBC Lines Up Trump Interview for Pre-Game Coverage

Comcast Corp. (CMCSA) holds the broadcast rights to Super Bowl LX and plans to air hours of pre-game content alongside the championship game and the halftime show featuring Bad Bunny.

Trump hasn't offered detailed reasons for skipping this year's game, though he did make a comment about not liking the performers—possibly a dig at Bad Bunny.

Still, the president will have a presence. Comcast is airing an exclusive interview between Trump and "NBC Nightly News" anchor Tom Llamas. The sit-down was pre-taped, with clips running on "NBC Nightly News" earlier this week and additional portions rolling out during Super Bowl LX pre-game coverage.

It's Llamas' first interview with Trump since taking over the evening newscast, according to The Hollywood Reporter. And given how many people tune in before kickoff, this interview will reach a massive audience—potentially rivaling viewership for the game itself.

A Presidential Super Bowl Tradition

The pre-Super Bowl presidential interview isn't new. It goes back to President George W. Bush, but it was President Barack Obama who turned it into an annual fixture during his eight years in office.

These interviews, which air just hours before the big game, often rank among the most-watched presidential appearances of the year, according to the report.

Trump mostly honored the tradition during his first term, though he skipped the 2018 NBC interview due to a dispute with the network. President Joe Biden also passed on the interview opportunity in 2023 with Fox and in 2024 with CBS. The Fox situation became particularly messy, with both sides debating who actually cancelled.

Trump sat down with Fox last year ahead of the Super Bowl—an event he then attended in person, giving him double the exposure on football's biggest Sunday.