As expected, NBC has officially tapped Katy Perry to headline the Super Bowl XLIX Halftime show on Feb. 1.
Bob Costas made the announcement during Sunday Night Football.
Last year’s halftime show with Bruno Mars and the Red Hot Chili Peppers drew 115.3 million viewers, topping the previous record set by Madonna in Super Bowl XLVI.
NBC will broadcast Super Bowl XLIX on Feb. 1 from Glendale, Ariz.; sophomore drama The Blacklist will get the coveted post-Super Bowl slot.
The NFL came under scrutiny for reportedly asking potential halftime show acts to pay the league for the right to perform during the big game. The American Federation of Musicians blasted the NFL over the summer, saying: “You can find kickback schemes like this coming from unscrupulous bar and nightclub owners, but for the NFL to descend to such depths would be unconscionable.”
