For many of the millions of viewers worldwide who will tune in for Super Bowl LI on Sunday, the halftime show featuring Lady Gaga will be a bigger draw than the game.
It's hard to blame the casual NFL fans or the revelers who are watching only because they were invited to a Super Bowl party. The halftime shows -- with their pyrotechnics, elaborate stage production, hordes of costumed dancers and megastar musicians -- have become can't-miss, cultural happenings of their own.
Younger viewers and international fans attracted to the sport during the NFL's global push in recent years might not realize it, but the halftime show wasn't always a big deal.