The LA pop rockers will not be appearing at the customary pre-event press conference, the NFL have confirmed, after facing criticism for landing the coveted headline place on the bill. Yesterday, the NFL communications Twitter account shared a statement with their 85,000 followers, saying they would instead continue to release content from the halftime performers across social media. “Maroon 5 has been working hard on a Pepsi Super Bowl LIII Halftime Show that will meet and exceed the standards of this event,” the statement read. “As it is about music, the artists will let their show do the talking as they prepare to take the stage this Sunday.
“Starting with the Pepsi Super Bowl LIII Halftime Show announcement, we began a cross-platform rollout of behind-the-scenes footage and content from each go the halftime performers.
“Instead of hosting a press conference, this social and digital media rollout will continue though Sunday across our owned and operated media assets as well as through the platforms of the artists,” the NFL told fans.
Since acts including Maroon 5 and Travis Scott were announced for the Super Bowl Halftime Show, there has been controversy surrounding the performances, with fans calling for them to pull out to show solidarity with NFL star Colin Kapernick.
Kapernick was the first National Football League player to take a knee while the American national anthem was played before games, starting a movement which aimed to highlight the oppression and mistreatment of African Americans and people of colour in the States.
A petition calling for Maroon 5 to pull out of the show has so far gained almost 112,000 signatures online.
As a band, they have not directly addressed the controversy surrounding their performance, but Maroon 5 recently announced a $500,000 donation alongside Interscope Records and the NFL to Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.
Scott previously revealed the NFL joined him in making a $500,000 donation to the Dream Corps, which focuses on aiding social change by helping people out of poverty, saying he made the pledge a condition of him signing up to perform.
Maroon 5’s keyboard player PJ Morton also spoke out on the controversy surrounding the upcoming Halftime Show during an interview with Associated Press earlier this month.
“Our job as musicians is to provide a service and make people feel good, and I think that’s going to be our mission,” he said. “Just to have a good time and do what we do.”
Admitting it was a “controversial year”, he said: “I’m excited to play on that stage, man.
“I watched Halftime Shows my whole life. I want to be there.”
Maroon 5, Scott and Outkast’s Big Boi are all set to perform on Sunday.
The acts have been sharing sneak peeks at preparations across social media as the big day approaches.
The Super Bowl 2019 will see the Los Angeles Rams go up against the New England Patriots at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, marking the third time the city has held the mammoth sporting event.
American football fans in the UK will be able to watch the game on BBC One.
The Super Bowl 2019 airs Sunday at 10.45pm on BBC One.