Apple Music Succeeding Pepsi As Super Bowl Halftime Show Sponsor
For the past decade, the Super Bowl halftime show has been sponsored by Pepsi, but the cola company ended that arrangement after this year’s performance by Dr. Dre and friends. Per The Hollywood Reporter, Apple Music has inked a multi-year contract to become the new sponsor, starting with this season’s Super Bowl in Arizona on Feb. 12, 2023. Performers for that show have not yet been announced.
“We are proud to welcome Apple Music to the NFL family as our new partner for the iconic Super Bowl Halftime Show,” NFL exec Nana-Yaw Asamoah said. “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.” Oliver Schusser of Apple Music and Beats offered further corporate speak: “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.”
It’s kind of funny that Dr. Dre, who co-founded Beats and then sold it to Apple, was the headliner the year before Apple Music (formerly known as Beats Music) took over as the halftime show sponsor. Another hip-hop mogul angle: Jay-Z’s Roc Nation has been in charge of booking the entertainment for the past few years, but Jay sold his majority stake in Apple’s rival streaming service Tidal last year, so presumably there’s no weirdness on that front.