This year's Super Bowl matchup between the New York Giants and New England Patriots takes place on February 5. In case this epic real-world contest isn't enough for you, the mobile world offers apps for everyone from the sports dilettante to the face-painting football fanatic. You can track your team's news, tweets, and stats; check out audio and video broadcasts; discover some sports history; and for the first time ever, watch the game itself—in real time—on your mobile device.

Here's a list of the best free apps we found for Apple iPhones (iOS) and Android smart phones. Each is available in Apple's App Store and/or the Android Market.

NFL Mobile (iOS, Android)
We’ve already reported the big news regarding this app for the first time, the big game will be live-streamed to Verizon smart devices. Subscribers can download this free app to watch the game and also get additional camera angles, in-game highlights, and live stats, and replays of the Super Bowl ads. Just be careful not to exceed your data usage: WhatIsMyCap.org can help you determine how long you’ll be able to watch before incurring an overage charge.

Giants Mobile (iOS, Android)
Are you for Big Blue? This free app offers quite a lot for Giants fans: real-time news, video on demand, photo galleries, podcasts, statistics “from the official NFL stats engine,” game schedules and results, scores, standings, a fantasy tracker, a Twitter aggregator, the ability to share news/photos easily to Facebook or Twitter, and even a searchable map of concession stands in MetLife stadium—for next season, of course.

New England Patriots 2011 (Android)
Then again, maybe you'll be rooting for the Pats. This is the team’s official app; it offers news, game details, real-time stats, on-demand and live video and audio broadcasts, and a photo gallery of players—and cheerleaders.

Chevy Game Time (iOS, Android)
The car company and numerous partners, including Motorola, Bridgestone, SiriusXM, and the NFL, created this undeniably self-serving app for game viewers to play during the Super Bowl broadcast. As Chevrolet ads air, you play trivia games, answer poll questions, and interact with other players via Twitter. But you'll also have the opportunity to win prizes—including 2012 Chevrolets, phones, tires, pizzas, music, and NFLStore.com gift cards.

NFL Pro Tweets (iOS)
The NFL Players Association offers this app; although it's free, you need to sign into your Twitter account to use it. Follow tweets from players (which can range into the raunchy zone) on one tab and sports-media tweets on another. You can also access a news feed from NFLPlayers.com.

ESPN ScoreCenter (iOS, Android)
Set alerts for your favorite teams, and ESPN ScoreCenter delivers the latest scores, news and standings. In addition to the NFL, you can choose to follow many other sports, including auto racing, ice hockey, cricket, as well as baseball and basketball.

Super Bowl Winners (iOS)
Get a list of winners from every Super Bowl game since the first match-up between the Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs in 1967. Going back even further, the app lists the championship winners for both the NFL and AFL. A brief history of the Super Bowl is tossed in for good measure.

A+ Superbowl Commercials (iOS)
What would the Super Bowl be without its renowned commercials? This app collects YouTube links to some of the best of the bunch from the last several years.

Find all of our Super Bowl coverage in one place on ConsumerReports.org: Super Bowl XLVI game plan helps you pick out the best TVs for watching the game, how to find those TVs, apps that'll augment your fun, the tastiest TV-watching treats, and lots more.