Blackout in Superdome Adds Dramatic Flair to Super Bowl; Cause Uncertain

Just as the Super Bowl was coming off an electrified halftime show from Beyoncé Knowles, part of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome fell into darkness due to a power outage. While the San Francisco 49ers picked up momentum after the 34-minute delay caused by the outage, the Baltimore Ravens ended up pulling out the victory, 34-31.

"The power outage was an unfortunate moment in what has been an otherwise shining Super Bowl week for the City of New Orleans," New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu said in a statement. "In the coming days, I expect a full after action report from all parties involved."

As nearly half the lights in the stadium went dark, the Ravens were leading the 49ers 28 to 6 with 13 minutes left in the third quarter.

Auxiliary lights were immediately activated, keeping the Superdome's concourses from falling completely dark. Escalators in the stadium were not functioning and spectators were asked to remain in their seats.

Philip Allison, a spokesman for Entergy New Orleans, said the outage was a result of equipment failure within the Superdome, according to the Associated Press.

New Orleans hosted the Super Bowl this year for the first time since Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005. 

Power was not lost anywhere else in the city, according to The New York Times.