Madonna to Perform at Super Bowl XLVI

Madonna will be the halftime entertainment for Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis, along with Cirque du Soleil.

Madonna will take the field during halftime of Super Bowl XLVI along with Cirque du Soleil and thousands of cheering fans. She joins a long list of recent iconic Super Bowl halftime performers, including Bruce Springsteen, The Who, The Rolling Stones and, of course, The Black-Eyed Peas. But unlike the heavily criticized performance of the Peas at last year's Super Bowl, Madonna's music is well-suited for the stadium setting and one would expect her performance to be solid, if not spectacular.

Of course, the Super Bowl halftime performance is an interesting phenomenon in the musical world. It's one of the highest honors to be the main attraction during the halftime of any Super Bowl - and only major acts are ever considered to perform. But it's also one of the least followed performances for viewers at home. Obviously, the fans attending the Super Bowl are basically getting a mini-concert in addition to the biggest football game of the year - so it makes sense from their side.

But the hundreds of millions of viewers around the world are largely disinterested in the halftime entertainment. It's during that time, especially in the U.S., when viewers step away from the television for refreshments or conversations with friends. At least, that's usually the case when the performers are along the lines of The Who, The Boss or The Stones. With Madonna as the halftime act, expect many female viewers of the Super Bowl to be especially interested in how Madge looks and what she brings to the table in terms of her song selection and stage presence.

The NFL knows what it's doing when it comes to managing the entertainment value of its product. Bringing Madonna and Circque du Soleil into the mix for Super Bowl XLVI ensures that they're going to get a much stronger return on their halftime investment than they have in recent years.

By Buzzle Staff and Agencies