Madonna Still Holds Super Bowl Halftime Show Viewing Record; Who’ll Play Next Year?
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Ragnar Singsaas/WireImage(NEW YORK) — Beyonce’s much-talked-about Super Bowl halftime show got amazing reviews and attracted plenty of viewers … but not as much as Madonna’s halftime show did last year.
Billboard reports that based on initial Nielsen data, Beyonce’s high-energy show drew about 104 million viewers. That’s lower than Madonna’s all-time record of 112.5 million viewers. Overall, the Ravens/49’ers matchup was the third-most-watched program in TV history, right behind last year’s Super Bowl and the 2011 Super Bowl.
While Beyonce’s performance was largely free of controversy, Madonna’s made headlines when one of her guests, rapper M.I.A., flipped the crowd the bird.
As for who will perform at next year’s Super Bowl, it’s taking place at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, which means that Bon Jovi might be a good bet to perform. Billboard, meanwhile, is asking its readers to vote on other likely candidates, including Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Rihanna, Justin Bieber and Coldplay.
However, there is some speculation that the fact that the Super Bowl will be played in an outdoor stadium in the Northeast in February means that there won’t even be a halftime show next year. A source told the New York Post, “It’s because of the cold weather…you just can’t assemble the stage and break it down fast enough in the cold.”
But if there’s no halftime show, what will we do for 12 minutes between halves? “There’s no plan right now of what to do in its place,” said the source.
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio