Springsteen to play Super Bowl halftime

NEW YORK -- Another Super Bowl, another rock 'n' roll superstar at halftime.

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will perform at the 2009 Super Bowl halftime show in Tampa, Fla., the NFL and NBC announced Sunday night.

Continuing a run of major talent that has lately included the Rolling Stones, U2, Paul McCartney, Prince and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, the biggest television event in the nation will showcase one of its most beloved rock 'n' roll artists. The Super Bowl will be played Feb. 1 at Raymond James Stadium.

The 2008 Super Bowl show was watched by more than 148 million viewers in the U.S., the NFL said in its release. It wasn't always that way: For years, the game's halftime show was made up of local and college marching bands and drill teams.

Chubby Checker in 1988 was the first popular musician to perform at halftime, and Michael Jackson upped the ante in 1993.

His sister Janet provided the show's most infamous moment with 2004's "wardrobe malfunction" -- and the show has stuck with straight ahead rock acts ever since.