Pop star Bruno Mars front-runner for Super Bowl halftime show Bruno Mars with his awards in the press room at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards at Barclays Center in New York, Aug. 25, 2013. 8 (UPI) -- Pop star Bruno Mars is the front-runner to perform at the next Super Bowl halftime show, two people with knowledge of the event told the Los Angeles Times. An announcement of the halftime performer could come as early as Sunday, but so far there has been no official statement from NFL, which produces the Pepsi-sponsored halftime show, or Fox, which airs the event, the newspaper said. Mars, a Hawaii native currently on his Moonshine Jungle tour, sold more than 1 million copies of his sophomore "Unorthodox Jukebox" album. Super Bowl XLVIII will be played in February at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.