Pepsi is no longer the sponsor of the NFL Super Bowl halftime show after being replaced by Apple Music.
For 10 years, Pepsi was featured during the iconic NFL event viewed by millions of fans at the stadium or watching from their homes across the nation.
The NFL and Pepsi had a 10-year sponsorship signed in 2013.
In a statement, the NFL said it “couldn’t think of a more appropriate partner” for the event. The halftime show is one of the most influential music performances of the year captivating over 100 million people nationwide.
“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,” said Oliver Schusser, Apple’s VP of Apple Music and Beats. “We’re looking forward to even more epic performances next year and beyond with the Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show.”
Over the next few months, Apple Music will share their new collaboration all over their @AppleMusic accounts found on most social media platforms.
Streaming services are the future of sports and music. These companies have pushed for the addition of sports to their bundles and deals to encourage fans to sign up for their services.
The NFL halftime show isn’t the only enterprise that is enjoying an Apple partnership, Apple has signed with Major League Baseball and Major League Soccer games.
The Amazon empire has capitalized on its opportunity to obtain exclusive rights to Thursday Night Football, allowing its subscribers to view the game on Prime Video as opposed to FOX or NFL Network. Despite this, FOX still has the rights to Super Bowl LVII, with broadcasters Kevin Burkhardt and Greg Olsen calling the game, and Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi working on the sidelines.
These companies are in a bidding war to get involved in multi-million dollar deals with NBCUniversal, FOX, Disney, Amazon and more.
“Apple Music is just generally easier to use, it keeps my music separate from my podcasts, said Evan Lindquist, Information System Developer and retired Pro-Hockey player. “They have a stranglehold on not only cellular but advertising markets.”
Apple Music’s sponsorship begins on Sunday, February 12, 2023. The game will be played at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Rihanna is the confirmed performer, it is unknown if there are any other performers thus far.
