The official Super Bowl halftime show press release
The following is the official Super Bowl Halftime Show press release announcing the headline performer:


Janet Jackson featured to perform at the AOL Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show produced by MTV.

Santa Monica, CA, December 18, 2003 | MTV: Music Television, the NFL, and CBS Sports announced today that mega-superstar Janet Jackson will be the featured performer during the AOL Super Bowl XXXVIII Halftime Show. Super Bowl XXXVIII will be held on February 1, 2004 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, TX and will air on CBS. The NFL selected MTV: Music Television to produce the AOL halftime show. CBS and MTV are both owned by Viacom Inc.

"With Janet set as a featured performer and more performers and surprise collaborations to follow, the stage has been to set to produce an event that the Super Bowl audience will remember for years to come," said Van Toffler, President, MTV/MTV2.

"There is no bigger spectacle than the Super Bowl," said Janet Jackson. "It's a unique and exciting experience that I have looked forward to for many years."

"The AOL Halftime Show is an important part of the Super Bowl and one of the most highly anticipated entertainment events of the year," said NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue. "We are pleased that a star like Janet Jackson will join the roster of entertainers who have made the Super Bowl Halftime so special."

Janet Jackson is a multiple Grammy and MTV Award-winning performer, whose multi-platinum albums from "Control" to "All For You" have sold more than 80 million copies worldwide. A peerless live performer, her 1990 "Rhythm Nation" tour remains the most successful debut concert tour in history. Among her multitude of honors is the inaugural MTVicon Award, which saluted her career achievements in 2001. She will release a new album in Spring 2004.

This marks the second time MTV: Music Television will produce a Super Bowl Halftime Show for the NFL. MTV produced the show for Super Bowl XXXV which aired on CBS in 2001 when the Baltimore Ravens beat the New York Giants. More than 130 million Americans watched the game and halftime show, providing CBS one of the most-watched nights in network television history. The Super Bowl XXXV Halftime Show featured Aerosmith and N*SYNC along with special guests Britney Spears, Nelly and Mary J. Blige in front of 75,000 fans at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.

The AOL Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show will be executive produced by Dave Sirulnick and Salli Frattini. Alex Coletti will serve as producer and Beth McCarthy-Miller will direct.

MTV Networks owns and operates the cable television programming services MTV: Music Television, MTV2, Nickelodeon/Nick at Nite, TV Land, VH1, CMT: Country Music Television, and Spike TV, as well as the The Digital Suite from MTV Netwoks, a package of thirteen digital services, all of which are trademarks of MTV Networks. MTV Networks also operates and offers joint ventures, licensing agreements and syndication deals whereby its programming can be seen worldwide.

It's always so exciting for me at the dawn of a new Janet era!

I can't wait!

I know! And I bet she's going to premiere the her new single at the Super Bowl, too.

As usual, there's going to be a few performers but J.J. is the headliner. Rumor has it that Outkast may join her.