Building The Super Bowl Halftime Show: The Biggest Stage In Music | Billboard On The Record

The Super Bowl Halftime Show has become one of the most watched and culturally iconic stages in live entertainment— now it’s time to find out what it really takes to make it happen. Marketing executive Bozoma Saint John joins Kristin Robinson on Billboard On The Record to pull back the curtain on the Super Bowl Halftime Show, from booking superstar talent like Beyoncé and negotiating with artists and brands to coordinating with the NFL and Roc Nation. Saint John shares how she convinced Beyoncé to take the stage and reflects on her experience blending music, sports and culture to create unforgettable moments. She breaks down the logistics and precision required to deliver those 13 unforgettable minutes—from rehearsals and stage builds to balancing sponsorships and artist priorities — offering a rare inside look at what it takes to make the Super Bowl Halftime show a spectacle of music, culture and strategy.

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Billboard On The Record is a podcast in partnership with SickBird Productions.

Host:
Kristin Robinson

Executive Producers:
Diona DaCosta
Jade Watson

Produced By:
Kayla Forman
Mateo Vergara

Edited By:
Rachel Derbyshire

0:00 Intro — What it takes to book a Super Bowl halftime show
0:45 Meet Bozoma Saint John + her Super Bowl/brand background
2:05 Why sports + music marketing works (Beats era)
4:05 Favorite halftime shows: Michael Jackson + the moment it changed everything
6:05 Bruno Mars 2014 + Broncos heartbreak (and the Billboard tweet)
8:25 Kendrick’s recent halftime show + “competition” as a storyline
10:05 How Beyoncé got booked (Pepsi) — the real origin story
13:10 The hidden scope: it’s a full 360 campaign, not just 13 minutes
15:30 Pushback + scrutiny: race, Janet backlash, inauguration lip-sync controversy
18:10 Beyoncé singing the anthem a cappella — shutting it down
19:35 The blackout after the show + handling chaos in real time
21:05 What artists negotiate beyond the performance (timing, projects, promo)
22:40 Pay + budgets: why artists sometimes add their own money
24:10 Is it “worth it”? Streams vs the long-tail career impact
26:05 Title sponsor POV: what it takes to sponsor halftime (deal length, obligations)
28:10 Sponsor ads + placement: what the brand controls during the broadcast
30:10 Who really picks the halftime artist (sponsor influence + fit)
32:05 Roc Nation’s role and working with the NFL machine
34:05 The protest era + why Roc Nation was a smart bridge for credibility
36:15 Can music refresh the NFL’s image? Why music moves people
37:40 Cost reality check: valuing minutes like ad time + separate artist deals
39:05 The hardest part: building/breaking the stage in minutes + limited rehearsals
42:00 Social media makes halftime bigger than the game
43:30 Taylor Swift/Travis Kelce + “music as cultural ambassador” for the NFL
45:00 Super Bowl ads: how brands plan (starting months in advance) + where music fits
48:00 Marketing war stories: Netflix alien ad + taking big swings
50:10 What makes an idea iconic (gut calls, risk, uncertainty)
52:10 Apple Music Emmys ad story + Tim Cook email reaction
55:00 Advice for young marketers: take risks early, build the boldness “muscle”
58:20 Game: dream Super Bowl lineup (Adele, Davido, Celine Dion, etc.)
1:00:30 Make Me a Playlist: 3 picks (gatekeep, throwback, guilty pleasure)
1:02:15 Outro + Charts roundup: Hot 100 Top 10 (Feb 7) + wrap-up

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Building The Super Bowl Halftime Show: The Biggest Stage In Music | Billboard On The Record

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