NFL Makes Major Change to Super Bowl Halftime Show, Swaps Pepsi for Apple Music

By Timothy Adams

Apple Music is replacing Pepsi as the official sponsor of the NFL's Super Bowl halftime show. Pepsi has been featured during the NFL's premier event for a decade, where some of the largest names in the music industry past and present have performed for the fans in attendance and millions watching from their homes around the world. The NFL and Pepsi signed a 10-year sponsorship in 2013, following a 2007 agreement. Apple's premium music streaming service takes over as the main sponsor of the Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday, February 12, 2023, with the game being played in Glendale, Arizona.

"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," said Oliver Schusser, Apple's vice president of Apple Music and Beats. "We're looking forward to even more epic performances next year and beyond with the Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show."

"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," said Nana-Yaw Asamoah, senior vice president of partner strategy for the NFL.

Media companies have become heavily invested in adding sports to their packages to entice fans to sign up and become subscribers. Along with sponsoring the NFL's Super Bowl, Apple has also signed on to stream Major League Baseball and Major League Soccer games. Amazon has secured the exclusive rights to Thursday Night Football, as fans have now had to stream the weekly games on Prime Video instead of viewing on the FOX cable network or NFL Network. This has also caused these companies to vie for top broadcasting talent to call and cover these games, with multi-million dollar deals offered at NBCUniversal, FOX, Disney, and Amazon.

Apple Music plans to promote the Super Bowl over the next couple of months by sharing sneak peeks on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok at its @AppleMusic accounts. Super Bowl performances used to rely on older acts like Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty, but Pepsi's time as sponsor ushered in a new era with fresher acts that appeal to a younger generation.

FOX has the rights to Super Bowl LVII. Broadcasters Kevin Burkhardt and Greg Olsen will call the game, with Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi working the sidelines.

Photo credit via Michael Owens/Getty Images

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