Super Bowl: Cardboard cut-outs and Amanda Gorman steal the show

image copyrightGetty Images

image captionWhile the stadium looked filled, it was due to 30,000 cardboard cut-outs

This year's Super Bowl was like no other, for obvious reasons.

Tom Brady steered the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a comfortable 31-9 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, but many of the night's talking points were off the pitch.

Canadian R&B star The Weeknd was largely forced to perform his half-time show from the stands due to coronavirus protocols.

And while the stadium looked filled, it was due to 30,000 cardboard cut-outs.

Here we take a look at some of the standout moments from a Super Bowl taking place in the middle of a pandemic.

Cardboard fans

At first glance, you may have thought the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, looked worryingly full, considering we're in the middle of a pandemic.

But there were only around 25,000 people in the 65,000 capacity stadium, which included 7,500 vaccinated health workers.

The numbers were made up by some 30,000 cardboard cut-outs, including the likes of Ozzy Osbourne and Billie Eilish.

image copyrightGetty Images

image captionFans watched the game alongside cardboard cut-outs

Brian McCarthy, a spokesperson for the NFL, tweeted that the cut-outs were to provide physical distance between fans and vaccinated health care workers.