Super Bowl Halftime Show Facts & Stats

The Super Bowl Halftime Show is one of US television’s most prestigious and most-watched events. It attracts more viewers than the Super Bowl itself. And if you are one of the viewers that tune in just for the Halftime Show, you can thank Michael Jackson. More on that later.

Fans have witnessed some of the biggest stars in music provide unforgettable Halftime Show performances. This year’s Super Bowl Halftime performance is guaranteed to be another amazing spectacle.

Rihanna will take center stage as she performs at the Super Bowl for the first time (NFL.com). The performance is highly anticipated and will undoubtedly be one of the most talked about moments of Super Bowl LVII.

Below, find more interesting statistics and facts about the Super Bowl Halftime Show.

7 Super Bowl Halftime Show facts you might not know:

Inaugural Super Bowl Halftime Show was held in 1967
The first Super Bowl Halftime Show featured two marching bands, neither representing one of the teams playing in the Super Bowl (The Washington Post). The University of Arizona Symphonic Marching Band and Grambling State University took the field at halftime at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The bands also shared the field with famed trumpeter, Al Hirt.
135 million viewers tuned into the most successful Super Bowl Halftime Show of all-time
Michael Jackson took the stage in 1993 which marked the first halftime performance by a well-known artist. To this day, it still holds the record for most viewers of a Super Bowl Halftime Show (Hollywood Reporter). Jackson’s performance, which included 3,500 kids and a blow-up globe set up on the 50-yard line redefined the meaning of the Super Bowl Halftime.
118.5 million viewers watched Katy Perry perform at Super Bowl XLIX
Katy Perry’s performance in 2015 at Super Bowl XLIX was the most-watched halftime show this decade with 118.5 million viewers tuning in, surpassing the Super Bowl itself (NBC Sports). Her performance featured guest appearances from Lenny Kravitz and Missy Elliott. Perry sang several of her most popular songs, including “Roar,” “Dark Horse,” “Teenage Dream,” “California Gurls,” and “Firework.”
Over 262 million viewers streamed Shakira and Jennifer Lopez on YouTube
In 2020, for the first time, the Super Bowl Halftime Show was produced in collaboration with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation (Newsweek). Shakira and Jennifer Lopez were chosen to co-headline a landmark performance honoring Miami’s Latinx community. A few short days following the Super Bowl, it became the most-watched Super Bowl Halftime Show on YouTube and the performance currently has over 262 million views (YouTube).
The Weeknd’s 2021 Halftime Show cost $17 million to produce
The most expensive Halftime Show production belongs to The Weeknd. The Weeknd spent $7 million of his own money in 2021 to produce a spectacular display to headline the Super Bowl Halftime Show (Billboard). This was on top of the anticipated expenditure of $10 million that the NFL is thought to allot for a halftime performance, proving just how lucrative it is to perform at the event.
The Super Bowl Halftime Show typically lasts 12-14 minutes
Depending on how much time the NFL gives to prepare the field for the second half, the halftime break for the Super Bowl might be anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes (Sports Illustrated).
The Super Bowl halftime performance, however, is limited to 14 minutes to allow for the setup and breakdown of the stage and clearing of the field before the second half can begin.
Only 7 artists have performed more than once at the Super Bowl
Since 1993, when Michael Jackson took the Super Bowl Halftime Show into the modern age, only seven artists have performed on the Big Stage for the Big Game more than once. (Billboard) Of those seven, only Gloria Estefan and Justin Timberlake performed three times.