Facebook and Twitter face off in today’s Super Bowl matchup

While the Broncos and the Seahawks are facing off against each other today in the Super Bowl, another showdown will be playing out, between social networks Facebook and Twitter.

Facebook is looking to outdo Twitter when it comes to serving as the place where people talk about plays, the high-dollar commercials, and other Super Bowl subjects. Facebook has brought on former television producers, partnered with broadcaster Fox Sports, and introduced new features in a quest to become the primary second-screen discussion forum this year, Reuters reported Friday.

Facebook also reached out to football players and other stars and offered incentives like increased reach if they share content publicly during the Super Bowl, according to Re/code.

Twitter isn’t sitting idly by. Its game plan includes providing excerpts from the game by way of the National Football League’s Twitter account, according to Reuters.

And Twitter has been working closely with big companies in recent months to help deliver the maximum marketing pop and get more marketing budgets consistently flowing to the social network, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Depending on how big of a football fan you are, the competition between Facebook and Twitter is either overshadowing or in the shadows of the showdown between the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks. In either case, these latest plays from Facebook and Twitter amount to some of the most high-profile competitive moves since Twitter went public in November.

Both Facebook and Twitter have fans. Big brands are looking to capitalize on marketing opportunities by pushing out content on both of the social networks.

Companies are having employees camp out in “war rooms” this year, Reuters reported. They’ll look to reproduce or eclipse the marketing success Oreo achieved during the 2013 Super Bowl after a blackout triggered a game delay.

That intense state of play distinguishes this year’s game from previous years. But it’s not the only factor that makes this Super Bowl Sunday stand out from those in the past.

It’s being broadcast in Spanish for the first time. That could call far more attention to commercials this year.

There’s also a better chance than ever that some of today’s commercials will be familiar to viewers. More companies have been showing some or all of their ads before the game, TechCrunch reported today.

Finally, today’s Super Bowl must share the spotlight with Groundhog Day — for the first time. Broncos and Seahawks vs. Groundhogs, anyone?

The key question is whether you’ll flock to Facebook or Twitter — or both — to weigh in.