Super Bowl 50 is almost here. While most people will be tuning in to watch the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers battle for the Lombardi Trophy this Sunday at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara, there’s a large number of viewers who will watch solely for the commercials or halftime show.

After all, not all of the 114.4 million viewers who tuned in to Super Bowl XLIX just wanted to watch football.

Super Bowl commercials are fairly well-known, and many companies vie for a spot. Grabbing one of the select 30-second advertisements comes with a steep price tag of approximately $5 million.

Several companies, such as Coca-Cola, Budweiser and Doritos, have commercials year after year. The combination of the big names and celebrity cameos makes the commercials even more important than the game to some people.

Since 2006, Doritos has held an annual contest where viewers create their own commercials to be possibly shown during the Super Bowl. The winning commercial is shown during the game.

This years finalists are “Dorito Dogs,” “Ultrasound,” and “Swipe for Doritos.” Fans can vote once a day, per device, for their favorite.

Although most of the commercials are light hearted and humorous, some are more serious. Coca-Cola, for instance, has used ads to promote same-sex marriage and multiculturalism.

Over the years, there have been several controversial ads, including one opposing abortion ad, one that encouraged cheating, and an insurance ad featuring different ways a child could die from household accidents.

Controversy at the Super Bowl isn’t just restricted to the commercials either. The Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show in 2004 is particularly infamous for Janet Jackson’s “wardrobe malfunction” when her breast was exposed during her performance with Justin Timberlake.

For the next six years following the incident, the musicians featured during the halftime show were primarily classic rock artists, such as the Rolling Stones, The Who and Bruce Springsteen. The switch to bands was an attempt to erase the possibility of another sexually suggestive halftime show.

Bands who performed often had their songs edited to erase profanity or suggestive lyrics, and a five-second broadcast delay was imposed on the future live performances.

During the Super Bowl’s first decade, from 1967 to 1977, college marching bands would play at the halftime shows, and from 1977-87 drill teams and other performance teams entertained fans. It wasn’t until after 1991 that pop musicians took the big stage.

Artists that have headlined at the Super Bowl include Michael Jackson, Katy Perry, Beyonce, Chubby Checker, New Kids on the Block, and Britney Spears.

Super Bowl 50 will feature Coldplay as its halftime performer, a far cry from trumpeter Al Hirt, who performed at the first Super Bowl with the University of Arizona Symphonic Marching Band, in 1967.

Not everyone is pleased with the British alternative rock band, however.

Some feel that Coldplay’s melancholy songs won’t excite the crowd enough. Hopefully the presence of Beyonce and Bruno Mars, who are also confirmed to performing, will help lighten the mood of the festive atmosphere.

This will be the first time Coldplay will play at the Super Bowl. Beyonce and Bruno Mars performed at Super Bowls XLVII and XLVIII, respectively.