Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will take the stage during the Super Bowl XLIII Halftime Show in Tampa on Feb. 1st, the NFL confirmed on Sunday (9/28).

Rumors of the booking circulated in recent weeks as Springsteen wound down his "Magic" world tour with final shows in late August in Tenn., Mo., and Wisc.

The announcement locks in a five-year run of classic rock and R&B acts since the last attempt at a contemporary hit-focused production in 2004. That half-time event featured Janet Jackson [ tickets ] and Justin Timberlake in a dance production that culminated in the landmark "wardrobe malfunction" that revealed Jackson's breast on live television and earned CBS a $550,000 fine from the FCC. That fine was voided by the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals in July of this year.

Since the Jackson incident, the NFL has avoided half-time controversy largely with acts that can draw upon deep catalogs of classic rock and pop material, starting with Paul McCartney [ tickets ] in 2005. In 2006, the Rolling Stones performed, and officials took the added step of arranging with the band to censor their lyrics for broadcast by muting singer Mick Jagger's microphone on selected lyrics. Prince anchored the 2007 show and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers took the half-time stage in 2008.

Springsteen, who turned 59 this week, has ramped up his recording and touring activity in the latter half of this decade, releasing new albums in 2005 (Devils & Dust), 2006 (We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions) and 2007 (Magic) and touring behind each of those releases.