Hulu and ESPN Will Air Michael Jackson Super Bowl Documentary

By Elena Vasquez

A new documentary chronicling Michael Jackson's 1993 Super Bowl halftime show will debut on Hulu and ESPN in February 2027. The film, titled "Spectacle: Michael Jackson at the Super Bowl," follows the King of Pop as he prepares for his landmark performance at the Rose Bowl.

The documentary will feature never-before-seen footage of Jackson and his team. According to the announcement, the film will document how Jackson "catapulted the Super Bowl halftime show into the single biggest spectacle in pop culture."

Why does one halftime show still matter?

The numbers tell the story of a before-and-after moment in television. Before Jackson took the stage in 1993, the halftime slot was typically headlined by marching bands and past-their-prime artists. Many viewers treated it as a skippable intermission.

After Jackson, the halftime show became one of television's most-anticipated events. The stage has since been graced by blockbuster acts including U2, Prince, Bruce Springsteen, Beyoncé and Bad Bunny — a lineup few would have predicted for a mid-game break three decades ago.

What did Jackson actually perform?

Jackson's set featured indelible choreography and costumes, blending dance precision with an emotional core. The setlist included:

• "Jam"
• "Billie Jean"
• "Black or White"
• "We Are the World"
• "Heal the World"

In plain terms: one 1993 performance reset the commercial and cultural expectations for the halftime slot, and the film promises to show how it was built.

Who is making the film?

Bao Nguyen directs and produces. Nguyen previously helmed "The Greatest Night in Pop," the buzzy documentary about the making of "We Are the World."

The producer roster spans three companies:

• Jesse Sisgold, Jon Weinbach and Lauren Gaffney for Skydance Sports
• John Branca for Optimum Productions
• Amit Dey for Into the Deep End Films

Executive producers are Karen Langford for Optimum, plus Ross Ketover, Ken Rodgers, Keith Cossrow and Jessica Boddy for NFL Films.

The takeaway: an established documentarian, a major streamer and the NFL's own film arm are all betting that the making of one halftime show can carry a feature-length film.

How does this fit the broader Jackson screen boom?

The documentary arrives almost a year after Lionsgate's biopic "Michael," a smash hit starring Jackson's nephew, Jaafar Jackson. A sequel to that film is already in the works.

That means two Jackson screen projects will have reached audiences within roughly a year of each other, with a third on the way — sustained screen demand for the performer more than three decades after the Rose Bowl performance. "Spectacle" will now test whether archival footage alone, without dramatization, can hold that audience when it lands in February 2027.