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Super Bowl

Wait, call it ‘The Thriller Bowl’?

ARLEN KANTARIAN
Kantarian Sports Group

Kantarian has attended 30 of the last 35 Super Bowls. He was NFL vice president of marketing for eight years, and as executive vice president, and later CEO, of Radio City Music Hall he was executive producer of three Super Bowl halftime shows, including Super Bowl XXVII starring Michael Jackson.

There are a wealth of Super Bowl memories, but the one that stands out most is the one that changed the entertainment value of the game forever. …

It was September 1992. I was sitting across from Michael Jackson trying to convince him to perform at halftime at Super Bowl XXVII. The NFL was looking to ramp up its show after being counter-programmed by Fox the year before. Halftime ratings were on the decline thanks to shows with innocuous Disney themes and marching bands. It was time for a change. …

Kantarian (right) presents a coat to the King of Pop.
Photo by: ARLEN KANTARIAN
He told me he didn’t like the name “Super Bowl” and I was blown away by his first question — “Can we rename the game ‘The Thriller Bowl’?” It was clear we had some work to do.

Jim Steeg and Don Garber joined the second meeting and we told Michael that the game would be televised in over 200 countries, including Third World countries that would never otherwise see him perform. Michael said yes. Three months later we rolled him out on a 10-ton stage complete with lighting, pyro and special effects … and “The King of Pop” delivered.

For the first time ever, the halftime show ratings exceeded the game itself and things would never be the same.

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