Backstreet Boys campaign to perform Super Bowl 61 halftime show
During a performance by the group at the Las Vegas Sphere, AJ McLean floated the idea to the crowd on hand.
‘What do you guys think? Backstreet Boys: 2027 Super Bowl halftime,’ McLean said.
It wasn’t entirely clear whether McLean was joking, but his suggestion was unsurprisingly met with a chorus of cheers from the crowd on hand. That prompted him to continue pitching the possibility.
‘Let’s make it happen then,’ McLean said. ‘I mean, you know, why not, right? Why not? It’s in L.A. It’s right down the street. Let’s go.’
The Backstreet Boys have performed at the Super Bowl before, but they have never headlined the halftime show. The quintet was offered an opportunity to do so at Super Bowl 35 between the Baltimore Ravens and New York Giants in 2001, but they instead opted to sing the national anthem, as Nick Carter told Entertainment Tonight in 2021.
NSYNC and Aerosmith instead combined to headline the halftime show that year, which also featured appearances by Mary J. Blige, Britney Spears and Nelly.
Any Backstreet Boys fans will have to wait a while to see if the NFL listens to the group’s plea. The league typically doesn’t announce its Super Bowl halftime entertainment until its regular season begins.
Last year, Bad Bunny was revealed to be the Super Bowl 60 halftime performer on Sept. 28, 2025.
