As someone who can count a certified all-timer in his immediate family these days, Jason Kelce knows when he sees a GOAT. The retired Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl champ could not contain his excitement during halftime of last night’s Monday Night Football (Oct. 26) game between the Dallas Cowboys and his Eagles, when the world learned that Jay-Z picked himself to headline next year’s Super Bowl LXI halftime show.
“We saw the goats in the freakin’ presentation, he is the GOAT,” Kelce said after ESPN teased a “special announcement” that turned into a short video soundtracked by Jay’s 2003 The Black Album track “Public Service Announcement (Interlude).” The black-and-white video then showed Jay in stadium seats as the words, “Allow me to reintroduce myself, my name HOV — H to the O-V,” bubbled up around Jay, surrounded by a tribe of black goats. “GOAT’s out of the bag,” read the bold headline across the screen at the end of the teaser.
“He’s got more stadium-ready hits than most artists have songs, period,” said Kelce. “It’s gonna be a great show.”
He was joined in his ebullient praise by broadcast partner Scott Van Pelt, who joked, “I had intended to say, ‘allow me to reintroduce myself,’ cuz I thought that would have been a great line. But it’s Jay-Z’s line, not mine.”
Van Pelt then tossed to his broadcast partner retired cornerback Jason McCourty who said he was fired up after the beat dropped in the commercial. “I felt like I was back at Gillette Stadium and [Tom] Brady’s running out,” said the former New England Patriot. “I’m a huge Jay-Z fan growing up in New York, so it means a lot to me. Going to be at the Super Bowl to see him perform at halftime, was just at his concert at Yankee Stadium, unbelievable.”
The speculation that Jay would be headlining the halftime show has been an open secret since Puck first reported the news a week ago, marking the hip-hop legend’s first time playing the massively watched showcase gig. Jay’s been producing the show through Roc Nation since 2019 and the location will feel familiar as the Feb. 14, 2027 game will be played at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif, where the rapper just played a pair of shows over the weekend.
Last year’s Super Bowl halftime show — presented by Apple Music — was headlined by Bad Bunny, and featured appearances from Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin, as well as celebrities hanging out in his on-field casita. The performance quickly racked up a global viewership record, becoming the most-watched halftime show ever with 4.157 billion viewers across global and U.S. broadcasts of the game, as well as YouTube an other digital avenues in the first 24 hours.
In a statement, NFL commissioner Roger Goddell said, “For several years, we’ve had the privilege of working closely with Jay-Z and Roc Nation, and I’ve seen the extraordinary impact he has had on the Super Bowl Halftime Show. When we first reached an agreement with Roc Nation to produce the show, I had just one request: that Jay-Z take the stage himself one day, whenever the moment felt right to him. I couldn’t be more excited for fans around the world to experience the artistry, creativity and cultural impact he will bring to the Super Bowl stage.”
In addition, Apple’s vice president of music and international content Oliver Schusser said, “Jay-Z’s impact on global music culture is as profound as it is undeniable. We’ve had the privilege of working closely with him these last few years to bring some of the world’s most exciting and prolific artists to the Super Bowl Halftime Show stage and we are so thrilled that he will be taking that stage himself this year. We know it’s going to be an incredible show.”
Next year’s Super Bowl halftime show will air on ESPN, ABC and Disney+, with Roc Nation once again executive producing the show and Hamish Hamilton directing.
Check out Jay-Z ‘s Super Bowl announcement below.