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Detroit Lions vs. Minnesota Vikings: Halftime Show performer revealed

By Steven Mullenax

NEW YORK, NY - JULY 22: Singer-songwriter Jason Derulo performs onstage during OZY FEST 2017 Presented By OZY.com at Rumsey Playfield on July 22, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Ozy Fusion Fest 2017)
NEW YORK, NY - JULY 22: Singer-songwriter Jason Derulo performs onstage during OZY FEST 2017 Presented By OZY.com at Rumsey Playfield on July 22, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Ozy Fusion Fest 2017) /
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When the Detroit Lions and the Minnesota Vikings kick-off their holiday matchup on Thanksgiving, their special halftime performer has now been revealed.

While the 6-4 Detroit Lions face off against the 8-2 Minnesota Vikings in a pivotal NFC North matchup on Thanksgiving, fans will also get the extra entertainment of a special holiday halftime show. And now the Lions’ have revealed who that performer will be.

According to DetroitLions.com, pop music star Jason Derulo will perform at halftime when the Lions battle the Vikings on Thanksgiving day at Ford Field.

The 28-year old Derulo is a singer, songwriter is one of four featured artists to perform this year’s version of the Monday Night Football theme for ESPN. Derulo is best known for his 2009 debut release of the single “Whatcha Say”, which peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Since then, Derulo has released a total of five studio albums.

Last year’s halftime performer, Andy Grammer, took a lot of heat after laying down on the field beside Detroit’s cheerleaders during part of his Thanksgiving day performance. But ratings for last season’s holiday matchup between the Lions and the Vikings weren’t hurt by it. The game had an average audience of nearly 28 million watchers, up an estimated 9% from 2015.

Due to the NFL’s struggles of late when it comes to viewership, this group of games slated for Thanksgiving day will be a solid barometer in determining if the league’s television numbers are trending upwards based on last year’s audience. If the holiday viewership increases from 2016, it could mean the NFL is finally turning a corner with it’s more disgruntled fans.

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The national anthem will be performed by saxophonist Mike Phillips. The renowned alto saxophone performer’s version of ‘The Star Spangled Banner’ during last season’s playoff matchup between the Atlanta Falcons and Seattle Seahawks sparked rave reviews. A Facebook recording of that performance has reached a whopping 3.1 million views.

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