The National Football League has announced Kris Wu as Super Bowl LII Ambassador for NFL China. Additionally, the Minnesota Super Bowl Host Committee (MNSBHC) has confirmed that Kris will perform at Super Bowl LIVE presented by Verizon, a massive, free, ten-day fan festival leading up to Super BowlLII. The performance will take place on February 3rd, 2018 at 4 p.m. on the VerizonUp Stage on the corner of Nicollet Mall and 8th Street in downtown Minneapolis. Kris is one of Chinaâs most well-known personalities and will be the first-ever Chinese artist to perform at a Super Bowl event.
The Chinese actor, singer, and music producer has topped the charts in China with record-setting singles like “6” and his recently released singles “Deserve” and “B.M.” have achieved success stateside. “Deserve” (feat. Travis Scott) hit No. 1 on iTunes, making Kris the first and only Chinese artist to achieve this feat.
With a following of over 27 million on Weibo and 5.6 million on Instagram, Kris is one of the most influential artists in China with a growing international fan base. “It is my pleasure to be named ambassador to one of the worldâs most recognizable sports and entertainment events. Thanks to the NFL and Minnesota Super Bowl Host Committee for inviting me to join in the Super Bowl LIVE festivities leading up to the big game,” said KRIS WU. “I look forward to participating in Tencent’s coverage and sharing my gameday experience with fans around the world.”
As the NFL eyes global expansion and growing its worldwide fan base, the inclusion of international musical talent in Super Bowl event programming marks a milestone for the NFL and local host committee. “We’re thrilled to host Kris, one of China’s biggest stars, at Super Bowl LIVE presented by Verizon and look forward to welcoming him to the Bold North,” said Maureen Bausch, CEO of the Minnesota Super Bowl Host Committee.
“Kris Wu is an extremely talented individual and will be a great representative for NFL’s rapidly growing fan base in China,â said NFL China Managing Director Richard Young. “The NFLâs popularity in China continues to boom as fans seek new, high quality sports entertainment experiences. Kris’ involvement combined with coverage from our online broadcast partner, Tencent Sports, will certainly enhance the Super Bowl experience for our Chinese fans.”
The MNSBHC has enlisted Grammy-winning producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis to curate 10 days of free music on Super Bowl LIVE presented by Verizon. Daily line-ups and schedules will be organized largely based on music genre, such as country, rock, gospel, hip hop, reggae and soul.
Wu joins the ranks of many notable performers who have taken the Super Bowl LIVE stage in recent years including: Alicia Keys, Matthew Nathanson, OneRepublic, The Band Perry, Chris Isaak in San Francisco for Super Bowl 50; and Ryan Bingham, Solange Knowles, Leon Bridges, ZZ Top in Houston for Super Bowl LI. Performers slated to join the festivities in Minneapolis include: Idina Menzel, Esera Tualo, Shiela E., Dessa, Bob Mould, Soul Asylum, and X Ambassadors.
Wu’s performance and Super Bowl LII experience will be covered and broadcast in China by Tencent Sports, the exclusive live digital streaming media partner of the NFL in China. The NFL’s partnership with China’s top digital sports platform brought live NFL games and non-game content to Tencent’s hundreds of millions users across Mainland China with over 1.3 million average weekly viewers tuning in to watch live NFL games during the 2017 regular season. Tencent will also stream Super Bowl LII live on Monday, February 5 at 7:30 a.m. China time.
