Half-minute blackout on Super Bowl broadcast blamed on equipment failure

Justin Timberlake performs during the Pepsi Super Bowl LII Halftime Show at U.S. Bank Stadium on February 4, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

The Super Bowl broadcast on NBC hasn't gone off without a hitch.

The telecast went dark for several seconds on Sunday night during a commercial break, prompting predictable confusion and frustration from viewers.

NBC Sports issued a statement on Twitter that attributed the darkness to a "brief equipment failure." The network said no game action or commercial time was missed.

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The temperature outside in Minneapolis at halftime was 0 degrees, with a wind chill factor of minus-18 degrees below zero.

Complaints from the TV audience on social media also included criticism of the audio quality during Justin Timberlake's halftime show at cavernous U.S. Bank Stadium.