the.com/halftime show
The only time America watches football for the commercials' commercial.
means The entertainment break at the midpoint of a football game, originally meant to let players rest and bands march, now a full-blown concert spectacle.
from Straightforward compound of 'half' plus 'time' — the midpoint pause baked into games like football and basketball. Marching bands owned this slot for most of the 20th century, a tradition rooted in American college football. It only morphed into a star-studded pop concert once television needed something to hold viewers during the break, with the Super Bowl turning the halftime show into a cultural event unto itself starting in the 1990s.
- origin
- Started as literal marching bands, not pyrotechnics
- janet moment
- 2004 wardrobe malfunction delayed shows by 5 seconds forever
- pay
- Performers get zero dollars, exposure is the currency
- super bowl stat
- Often out-rates the actual game itself