NFL Releases 'Super Bowl Weekend’ Performances for 2022

When compared to global sports like football, cricket, and rugby, the US’s NFL pales in terms of fan count and appeal. However, the American football league is the most lucrative in the world—and it spares no expense when it comes to its annual Super Bowl championship game.

Each year, the NFL selects a city to host the game, which also includes ample production, from a National Anthem singer to a halftime performer to a slew of commercials from top brands. In other words, the Super Bowl is designed to be an all-out day of entertainment. 

This year, the NFL is looking to expand ‘Sunday Funday’ into a whole weekend. This hasn’t stopped sports fans from paying attention to what matters; as the American football season advances toward its final weeks, fans and pundits alike keep an eye on Super Bowl betting to see which team’s odds are shortening or lengthening. 

This year, sportsbooks list the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs as likely contenders for the Lombardi Trophy, which is awarded to the national champion. However, not everyone is keeping an eye on the teams scrapping for a win. Instead, they’re paying attention to see who will be hosting, performing, and producing this year’s championship game.  

In early October, the NFL announced its half-time performers—and received one of the most unanimous waves of approval from fans across the US in recent years.

A Total of 43 Grammys

Hip-hop artists Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Dr. Dre, Mary J. Blige, and Kendrick Lamar will be creating a performance for the Super Bowl half-time show. Though it’s not uncommon for the NFL to bring together multiple artists for a genre-bending half-time show, the 2022 lineup isn’t just a who’s who of hip-hop—it’s bringing on some of the founding members of the genre, and also includes R&B and rap. 

In other words, it’s not just a much-hyped show. As rap magnate, Jay-Z, put it, “This is history in the making.” Even more meaningful will be appearances by Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and Kendrick Lamar, who are all from Los Angeles, where the event will be held on February 13. 

In total, the five performers have a total of 43 Grammys; Eminem leads with a total of 15 awards, while Kendrick has 13 and Mary J. Blige has nine. Previously, R&B sensation The Weeknd and pop icons Shakira and JLo performed (in 2021 and 2020, respectively).

Building Out Entertainment

This year, the NFL is handling its Super Bowl a bit differently; as mentioned above, the group will be building out a weekend of entertainment. From February 10-12, Los Angeles will play host to the 2022 Super Bowl Music Fest, which will bring on a diverse range of musical artists. 

So far, there’s an eclectic mix that includes Halsey, Miley Cyrus, Blake Shelton, Green Day, and MGK. These talents represent genres of pop, country, rock, and alternative rock, respectively. It highlights the NFL’s emphasis on catering to viewers and football fans of all stripes; halftime performers tend to run the gambit of genres from year to year. 

The last edition of a ‘Super Bowl weekend’ included performances from Bruno Mars, Cardi B, Aerosmith, and more in 2019. A shortened version was attempted last year in Tampa Bay, which included appearances from Guns N’ Roses, DaBaby, and DJ Khaled.

A Question of Profit

For most sports fans around the world, the NFL’s over-the-top emphasis on entertainment value may seem stereotypically American; after all, shouldn’t the emphasis be on Super Bowl as a championship game? After 17 weeks of battling teams from across the country, only one side will be named national champions—and shouldn’t that be the focus?

As mentioned above, the NFL is the most lucrative sports league in the world. This isn’t just because fans shell out money for season tickets, memorabilia, and channel subscriptions. A huge portion of the NFL’s income stems from advertising during Super Bowl commercial breaks. 

This year, NBC will charge $6 million for 30 seconds of ad time during live broadcasts of the championship game, according to Variety. Typically, there are between 40 to 50 ads run during the game.

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