From marching bands to megastars, the Super Bowl halftime show emerges as a major sports spectacle

By JONATHAN LANDRUM Jr.
AP Entertainment Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) — When the Super Bowl halftime show was born, college marching bands were the main on-field attraction. But over the years, the intermission during the NFL’s annual championship game has turned into one of sport’s biggest spectacles with superstar performances ranging from Prince, Beyoncé, U2 and Madonna. This year, Usher will take the stage. In nearly six decades, the halftime festivities have gone from being a family-oriented show with patriotic tunes to transform into entertainment’s biggest stage with top-tier live performers, pyrotechnics and superb backup dancers. The 12-to-15 minute performance has sometimes attracted more eyeballs than the actual championship game drawing more than 100 million viewers.