Bruno Mars to headline Super Bowl halftime show for second time: reports

[September 10, 2015]  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Grammy-winning singer Bruno Mars has been invited back to headline next year's Super Bowl halftime show after scoring the second-biggest audience in the show's history two years ago, U.S. media reported on Wednesday.

In addition to performing at the National Football League's Super Bowl 50, Mars has been asked to "curate" the show, according to Billboard magazine, citing unnamed sources.

That means the 29-year-old performer, songwriter and producer will get to handpick the "impressive guests" who appear with him on stage, it said.

The NFL championship game will be held in Santa Clara, California, in February.

Representatives for Mars did not immediately respond to requests for comment and NFL representatives declined to comment.
 

Mars, whose song "Uptown Funk!" with producer Mark Ronson has been one of the hits of this summer, brought rockers Red Hot Chili Peppers to join him on stage for the halftime show in 2014, drawing 115.3 million viewers.

Singer Katy Perry edged Mars out of the top viewership by drawing 118.5 million viewers this year, the most-watched Super Bowl halftime performance in history.

The Super Bowl is the most expensive TV program for advertisers, who paid up to $4.5 million for a 30-second commercial this year. Past performers at the halftime show include Beyonce, Madonna and The Black Eyed Peas.

(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Tom Brown)

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