Make no mistake - it’s all going down this February when JAY-Z takes over the NFL halftime performance. But how about having the commissioner himself - Roger Goodell - dishing on why it made sense to have Young Hov take over? Oh yes.
Apple Music gives Roger Goodell the platform to speak on JAY-Z’s halftime set
Forget a press release - RG pulled through to speak to Apple Music about this week’s huge announcement.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell spoke with Apple Music hosts Ebro Darden and Eddie Francis today on Apple Music Radio to discuss why the timing was finally right for JAŸ-Z to headline the Apple Music Super Bowl LXI Halftime Show, scheduled for Sunday, February 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif.
Full transcript of the conversation below. Apple Music subscribers can listen to the interview any time on demand here, and visit JAŸ-Z’s Road to Halftime on Apple Music for exclusive content and season-long programming.
EBRO DARDEN: “Last year was monumental in so many ways. This year, we have JAŸ-Z, who has decided that now is the appropriate time to perform at the Super Bowl LXI halftime show. You mentioned yesterday that you kind of always knew this day would come. Talk about now being the opportune time and having this hip-hop legend and business compadre deciding, ‘I’m gonna get out there.’”
ROGER GOODELL: “So many things go into that as we go into the process and Jay does his thing. We’ve always wanted this to happen at some point. It was something I asked him about at the time when we first started this, and he said, ‘Yeah, we’ll see, let’s see what happens’—but it was clear he wanted it to happen. We’ve talked about it a couple of times. I think the fact that he’s in his 30th anniversary year of his first album, he just finished his tour, it’s L.A., he’s at that point as the GOAT that he’s ready for it. He was pretty clear: ‘I wanna do it this year.’ I guess I was more excited than anything, maybe a little surprised, because he keeps putting it off a little bit. But I think he’s already got his vision; he already understands what he wants to do. He’s been so remarkable in helping us elevate the whole Super Bowl halftime show. He’s a genius, and not just a creative genius in a musical sense. His business sense, his sense of timing, his sense of what’s necessary in the world—he’s just got that. I trust him, and I trust his point of view.”
EDDIE FRANCIS: “Looking back at his 30-year career, what are you most excited for viewers to see from JAŸ-Z in February?”
ROGER GOODELL: “I think he’s gonna take all of his experience, his wisdom, his creativity... He’s always talked about it from the first meeting, about the incredible platform that the Super Bowl gives to the artist. I think he understands the moment. I know he’s been thinking about this, and he’s got a lot of ideas for creating the greatest show ever on the biggest platform ever. That’s what excites me. I think he’s going to let it rip, and it’s going to be awesome.”
EBRO DARDEN: “We know you like some hip-hop, Commissioner. Do you have a favorite album of JAŸ-Z’s?”
ROGER GOODELL: “You know what, I wouldn’t do that to him, because if I say that, I’ll get in trouble (laughs). I always tell Jay, ‘The music’s you.’ We’ll fight about sports, because we always tease about different sports, he’s always got a view on what’s good, what’s bad, which is great. But I don’t argue with him about music. I love his collabs because he picks the most amazing collabs, like ‘Holy Grail,’ some of that stuff is so cool—‘Empire State of Mind’ comes to me, because I love Alicia Keys. I never pick my favorite of anything. You appreciate the variety of work he’s done—think of the number of songs, albums he’s done, the number of awards. There’s not many people that fit in that category.”
EDDIE FRANCIS: “JAŸ-Z performed in both London and Paris this year, two cities where the NFL also played games. What do you make of that parallel?”
ROGER GOODELL: “Having just gotten back from Paris, I just think it’s a state of how global both the NFL is and JAŸ-Z is. Those are great cities so it’s probably no surprise that either one of us are appearing there, and doing our thing there. It’s pretty cool that he’s now going to take the stage in L.A. after all the work he’s done. To go back to your original point, it’s the global nature of who we are, both of us.”
EBRO DARDEN: “This opportunity to be alongside yourself, JAŸ-Z, us here at Apple Music, has been tremendous. Hopefully you’ve had as much fun as we have. Here we are again with another amazing year ahead of us. We just wanna say thank you...”
ROGER GOODELL: “To you guys, but also to the broader Apple relationship, it’s been a great relationship. You guys mean so much to the industry, but you’ve also brought so much support in elevating the Super Bowl halftime show. We’re proud to partner together on that. I think we’ve all achieved an impact that maybe none of us thought we go do together. I say that to Jay all the time: we’ve done something really special, and we should be proud of that. I think it has changed peoples’ lives in many ways. We’re proud of not just the musical acts, but the impact its had over the years.”
