How Michael Jackson Saved the Super Bowl
On Sunday, Beyoncé performed at the Super Bowl (the rugby final) and won over critics. But Michael Jackson’s 1993 performance (January 31 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena) was the biggest event in Super Bowl history.
One day after Beyoncé’s performance, the official Michael Jackson website wrote: “Super Bowl yesterday was fun, but nothing compares to the show of Michael Jackson.”
Michael Jackson used a spring-loaded platform that had been used during the Dangerous Tour, jumped onto the stage, and stayed completely motionless for a minute. He then delivered a medley of “Jam” (which began with the sound of “Why You Wanna Trip on Me”), “Billie Jean,” and “Black or White.” The show then took on a more human atmosphere, with “We Are The World” and “Heal the World” performed afterward.
Michael dedicated “Heal the World” to all the children of the world and said:
“Today we stand together, all of us, around the world, with a common goal to make the world a place of joy, mutual understanding, and kindness. No one should have to suffer, especially our children. This time we must win.”
Michael Jackson’s presence at the Super Bowl was a strategy to solve the problem of declining viewership—something that had been happening for two years. The first year was the first time the number of viewers increased in the second half.
Mike Ozanian, a writer for the respected Forbes magazine, wrote an interesting article about it:
“This competition for the right to perform in the time between the two halves turned the Super Bowl into the biggest sports event in the world.
The NFL had been planning a special program for the halftime show since 1967. Since then, the number of viewers had always been rising, until in 1992 the program faced a decline in viewership. The performers weren’t big names.
The NFL learned from this reality and in 1993 assigned the Super Bowl—broadcast on NBC—to Michael Jackson. The world’s greatest showman for the world’s greatest stage. The ratings for this TV program rose by 8.6% compared to the previous year. That year, the Super Bowl didn’t lose its viewers either during halftime or even in the second half.
Madonna’s performance the previous year had attracted more viewers than the game itself (viewership dropped in the second half). Michael Jackson brought the highest number of viewers and the highest TV ratings for this event, and the Super Bowl that had Beyoncé this year has never repeated the success of 1993.
MJ changed the audience and the Super Bowl’s economy forever. Being ahead of his time, he did a great service to American rugby by involving the people in the studio audience in the show.
Source: eMJey.com / Forbes