00:00We've seen halftime shows in the NBA, in college with marching bands, and of course, at the Super Bowl, but
00:06never in the World Cup.
00:08Until now.
00:09I'm Randall Williams, a sports business reporter at Bloomberg News, and I'm taking you inside the world's biggest sporting events.
00:16Today, we are headed to the most-watched showdown on Earth, the FIFA World Cup.
00:27This year, the FIFA World Cup has something completely different, a halftime show.
00:32That's right, FIFA is pulling a page straight out of the NFL Super Bowl book and turning the World Cup
00:37final intermission into a full-scale entertainment spectacle.
00:41FIFA has brought on Global Citizen with the help of Coldplay's Chris Martin to find the right performers, and the
00:47star power is massive.
00:49Shakira, Madonna, BTS, plus Justin Bieber will brace the stage, and they'll be supported by some familiar faces as well.
00:57Elmo, Kermit the Frog, and other iconic characters from Sesame Street and The Muppets will join the trio.
01:03I know, it sounds very random, but the reality is, FIFA is trying to turn this show into a cultural
01:09moment we'll all remember.
01:10I am so excited. I have been wanting to see Justin Bieber for so long, and now I finally get
01:15to.
01:15This group could have one of the most-watched musical performances of all time.
01:20We all know and love Elmo and Kermit, but Madonna, Shakira, BTS, and Bieber could have one of the most
01:26-watched musical performances of all time.
01:29The group of musicians have combined for over 300 million monthly listeners on Spotify, 82 Billboard Top 10 hits, and
01:3628 number one hits.
01:37The stage will likely have a similar impact the Super Bowl has on artists who perform there.
01:42More listeners from being watched by millions.
01:45The artists who perform at halftime shows are, like, the most talked about people for however many months before and
01:52after, and it has a huge commercial impact.
01:54The show is also about business.
01:56The World Cup final already draws one of the biggest global audiences in sports, but adding a halftime show gives
02:03FIFA the opportunity for more advertising and sponsorship revenue.
02:06And to make it work, FIFA may have to break one of soccer's most sacred traditions.
02:11Remember, a normal halftime in soccer lasts just 15 minutes, but when you have to build out a stage, bring
02:17in light, sound, and security, don't be surprised if the intermission is a bit longer.
02:22There's also a philanthropy element.
02:24The performance will support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, an initiative aimed at raising $100 million to expand the
02:32access to quality education and football opportunities for children around the world.
02:36This show will be the test to see whether FIFA can evolve from the world's biggest sporting event into the
02:41biggest entertainment stage on earth.
02:44And if it works, the World Cup may never look the same again.
02:48This is Sports City.
02:53This is Sports City.
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