Tom Petty to play Super Bowl halftime show

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers will play the coveted halftime slot at the Super Bowl in Arizona on February 3, organizers of the year's No. 1 television event said on Sunday.

This year, nearly 140 million Americans watched Prince play at the football extravaganza.

Other recent acts have included the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney and U2. The most infamous performer was Janet Jackson, who bared her breast during the 2004 event, triggering a bipartisan political crackdown on televised smut.

The National Football League's annual championship game will be held at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, near Phoenix. It will be televised by Fox.

Petty's performance will mark a rare occasion where the veteran rocker is closely aligned with a corporate sponsor, in this case the North American arm of Japanese tire firm Bridgestone Corp, which has lent its name to the halftime event.

Petty, 57, is an outspoken opponent of sponsorship of rock concerts, and his last album with the Heartbreakers, 2002's "The Last DJ," was a pointed assault on corporate greed. His spokeswoman did not respond to a request for comment.