If there’s one thing that can be said about the Super Bowl Halftime Show, it’s this: Each year will be bigger than the next. Brighter. Louder. More exciting.
Officially, it’s called the Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show, and it’s again being produced by Apple Music, the NFL, and Roc Nation — the latter being led by Jay-Z. And one thing that doesn’t change? The talent. It’s always great (OK, almost always great). And Super Bowl 2024 continues that trend with none other than Usher headlining things on Sunday, February 11, 2024, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
Usher follows a major Super Bowl halftime show in 2023 that saw Rihanna flying above the field — and debuting a new pregnancy, at that. Safe to say that Usher won’t be doing at least half of that, but it should still be a heck of a performance.
“It’s an honor of a lifetime to finally check a Super Bowl performance off my bucket list. I can’t wait to bring the world a show unlike anything else they’ve seen from me before,” the eight-time Grammy winner said in a press release. “Thank you to the fans and everyone who made this opportunity happen. I’ll see you real soon.”
Usher immediately made a mark on the music industry in the mid-1990s, and scored his first of two-dozen Grammy nominations with 1998’s You Make Me Wanna … before getting his first win four years later with U Remind Me. He followed that with wins in 2003 (U Don’t Have to Call), 2005 (Confessions, Yeah, and My Boo), 2011 (There Goes My Baby, Raymond v. Raymond), and 2013 (Climax).
“Usher is an icon whose music has left an indelible mark on the cultural landscape throughout his career — we couldn’t be more excited to have him headline this year’s Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show,” said Seth Dudowsky, NFL head of music. “We look forward to working with Usher, Roc Nation, and Apple Music to bring fans another Halftime Show for the history books.”
Usher also is listed in Guinness World Records for the longest stay at No. 1 on the U.S. Singles chart in a single year, and most consecutive U.S. Airplay chart No. 1s — both in 2004. He landed another accolade in 2010 for the most R&B No. 1s in the U.S.
“Usher is the ultimate artist and showman,” Jay-Z said in the press release. “Ever since his debut at the age of 15, he’s been charting his own unique course. Beyond his flawless singing and exceptional choreography, Usher bares his soul. His remarkable journey has propelled him to one of the grandest stages in the world. I can’t wait to see the magic.”
For those of us who can’t make it to Super Bowl LVIII (that’s 58, for those of you who don’t speak Roman numerals), the game will be broadcast on CBS, with kickoff set for 6:30 p.m. ET. It’ll also be shown on Univision in Spanish, on Nickelodeon with a distinctive kids flair, and streamed on Paramount+, NFL+, and the NFL app. We can’t say exactly when Super Bowl 2024 halftime will occur — it’s halfway through the game. But figure sometime around 8:30 p.m. ET or so.
The CBS part is important because it’s available on most major streaming services, including YouTube TV, which was the new exclusive home of NFL Sunday Ticket for the 2023-24 season. (And is the most popular live streaming service in the U.S., with more than 5 million subscribers. If you’re looking for the cheapest way to watch the Super Bowl Halftime Show, it basically is any of the services that has a free trial, because free is free. But if you’re looking for the least expensive service that’ll have the Super Bowl and is one you want to pay for beyond the game, that’ll be Sling TV.
“The Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show is one of the most highly anticipated music events of the year, and we’re excited to bring this legendary show to fans all over the world in Spatial Audio, along with tons of exclusive videos, interviews, playlists and so much more across Apple Music,” said Oliver Schusser, Apple’s vice president of Apple Music, Apple TV+, Sports, and Beats. “We are so proud of what we were able to accomplish together with the NFL and Roc Nation last year, and now with the insanely talented Usher set to take the stage, we’re looking forward to another incredible Halftime Show from one of the world’s all-time greatest performers.”
The Super Bowl Halftime Show is entertainment midway through the game, but that doesn’t mean it’s unimportant for the artists. Rihanna’s performance was nominated for five Emmy Awards, winning for Outstanding Production Design for a Variety Special, and Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special. (Its other nominations were for Outstanding Music Direction, Outstanding Variety Special (Live), and Outstanding Technical Direction and Camerawork for a Special.)
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