Apple Music To Sponsor The Super Half-Time Show

The National Football League has reached a multiyear deal with Apple Music to sponsor the Super Bowl Halftime Show, beginning with the American football championship game in February 2023, the league said on Thursday, according to Reuters.

The Super Bowl is usually the most watched television event of the year in the United States, and the halftime show has become a showcase, featuring such notable artists as The Weeknd, Jennifer Lopez, Shakira, Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Bruno Mars, Prince and Madonna.

Over 120 million viewers watched the 2022 Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show, which featured Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar. Super Bowl LVII will be played on Sunday, Feb. 12, in Glendale, Ariz.

The tie up will be a key promotional platform for Apple Inc, which has been associated with music since 2001, when it introduced the iPod digital music player.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but analysts had expected the league to get at least $50 million per year for the rights, reports CBS News.

"We are proud to welcome Apple Music to the NFL family as our new partner for the iconic Super Bowl Halftime Show," Nana-Yaw Asamoah, the NFL's senior vice president of partner strategy, said in a statement. "We couldn't think of a more appropriate partner for the world's most-watched musical performance than Apple Music, a service that entertains, inspires, and motivates millions of people around the world through the intersection of music and technology."

Apple's vice president of Apple Music and Beats, Oliver Schusser, said in a prepared statement that, "Music and sports hold a special place in our hearts, so we're very excited Apple Music will be part of music and football's biggest stage. We're looking forward to even more epic performances next year and beyond with the Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show."

Apple is also negotiating with the NFL for the rights to the "NFL Sunday Ticket" package of Sunday games that don't air in a viewer's home market. Amazon, Google and the Walt Disney Co. are also competing for the package, which has been on DirecTV since 1994.