Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers will play the biggest stage in America next February, rocking the halftime show of Feb. 3's Super Bowl XLII, organizers have announced.
The halftime show of the National Football League's annual championship game is traditionally coveted by musical performers, who gain a huge lead-in audience from the game itself; this year's performance by Prince drew more than 140 million US viewers, according to the NFL.
Recent halftime acts for the big game have also included The Rolling Stones in 2006, Paul McCartney in 2005, and 2004's infamous "wardrobe malfunction" pairing of Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake.
The Super Bowl, which will be televised by Fox, will be held at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, AZ, which also plays home to the NFL's Arizona Cardinals.
Tire-maker Bridgestone has signed on as title sponsor for the Super Bowl's halftime show for both Petty's turn in 2008, as well as the following year's event, marking the first official Super Bowl exposure for either party.