Don’t expect tomorrow’s Hurricane Sandy benefit concert at Madison Square Garden, being broadcast live around the world, to be running late. A press release issued this morning notes a “sharp” start time of 7:30 PM ET.

Organizers announced this morning that Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band will open the event at the specific time. Attendees were asked to be seated by 7:15 PM. We think viewers at home should be seated on their couches around the same time.

Through numerous television networks, radio channels, and online streaming around the world, 12-12-12 will be able to be seen and heard by an estimated 2 billion people. The concert will be available to 114 million television households on 37 channels in the United States and to more than 400 million television households outside the country via networks and feeds in North and South America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia.

Other than Springsteen, the musical line up includes Bon Jovi, Eric Clapton, Dave Grohl, Billy Joel, Alicia Keys, Chris Martin, The Rolling Stones, Eddie Vedder, Roger Waters, Kanye West, The Who, and Paul McCartney. The line up is unknown other than Springsteen opening.

The concert is being held to benefit the victims of Hurricane Sandy, which savaged the east coast in late October.