On the season's first Sunday of NFL action, the league is already looking ahead to Super Bowl XLVIII in February. Singer Bruno Mars tweeted that he'll be the halftime entertainment at the big game, and tweets from the NFL and sponsor Pepsi confirmed the news.
The 27-year-old Grammy Award-winning Hawaiian musician has sold more than 10 million albums and had five No. 1 Billboard singles.
The NFL also released a video containing footage of Mars (real name: Peter Hernandez) performing over the years, beginning at age 4 in an Elvis costume and cutting into a montage of recent concert appearances.
Singer Beyonce performed at last year's Super Bowl, held in New Orleans, to mostly positive reviews.
The 2014 Super Bowl will be held on Feb. 2 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., the first Super Bowl to be held outdoors in a cold-weather environment.
Some New Yorkers have already criticized the selection of Mars to the New York Daily News, saying a performer with New York or New Jersey roots would have been a better choice.