From 1984 to 2026: The Complete History of Apple at the Super Bowl

You may have heard that this Sunday is the biggest football game of the year (“American Football” for UK players). But it’s not fair when it comes to the New England Patriots versus the Seattle Seahawks — the Super Bowl is the most-watched sporting event in the U.S. for both the commercials and the game.

Apple made arguably the most memorable ad in Super Bowl history back in 1984. This often leads to the idea that Apple and the Super Bowl go hand in hand, but in reality, Apple’s history with the game is quite short. Still, every year we hope that Apple uses the biggest stage to showcase or demo a new product. And every year we are disappointed.

But Apple Music is sponsoring the Super Bowl halftime show, and this year it will feature pop superstar Bad Bunny. Suffice it to say, about 100 million people will be watching, one of the biggest audiences Apple has ever had. This is the fourth time that Apple has sponsored the show, and as with previous shows, it will be a spectacle, even if it’s not really a showcase of Apple products.

Before we get to Sunday, here’s Apple’s Super Bowl history.

1984 (1984)

Apple’s “1984” commercial is often called the greatest commercial in Super Bowl history. Directed by Ridley Scott of “Alien” and “Blade Runner” fame, the 60-second commercial aired only once, as one of the first commercials in the third quarter of Super Bowl XVIII. Its theme was based on George Orwell’s novel “1984,” and the ad’s bleak, dystopian imagery struck a chord during the era of populist conservatism and the Cold War. Designed to build hype for the announcement of the Macintosh a few days later on January 24, 1984, it certainly accomplished its goal.

Scott’s direction left a lasting impression on popular culture, so much so that “Apple” and “Super Bowl” are synonymous — even though the ad didn’t feature a single Apple product.

Lemmings (1985)

In 1985, Apple — well aware of how effective “1984” was — aired a second ad during Super Bowl XIX. The ad, titled “Lemmings,” was directed by Tony Scott, Ridley’s brother, and in a similar tone promotes a new software suite called Macintosh Office, which was designed to connect a Macintosh computer to a printer and file server.

The ad tried to capture the tone of “1984” and definitely left an impression on viewers – just not the one Apple intended. With a massive advertising campaign that included seat cushions during the big game and full-page newspaper ads warning viewers to skip a fourth-quarter bathroom break, “Lemmings” didn’t sit well with viewers. People who watched found the ad depressing and offensive, and nowhere near as enticing as “1984”.

HAL (1999)

It’s been 15 years since the “Lemmings” debacle before Apple decided to debut a new ad during the Super Bowl. The ad starred HAL from “2001: A Space Odyssey” and, with Stanley Kubrick’s blessing, was part of the AI ​​antagonist theme that included the Macworld San Francisco and WWDC keynotes. The ad came at a time when fears were growing that computers would stop working in the new year due to the Y2K bug, as computers did not understand the year 2000 and chaos would ensue.

Apple used the ad to promote the Mac’s immunity to the Y2K bug due to its ability to understand years up to 29,940. While the Y2K bug turned out to be much ado about nothing, Apple’s third and final Super Bowl ad became a cult hit among fans.

I Fought the Law (2004)

While not technically an Apple ad, Pepsi’s 2004 ad announcing its iTunes partnership definitely felt like it. The ad featured a cover of Green Day’s Sonny Curtis’ “I Fought the Law” and featured 16 teenagers who were being sued by the RIAA for illegally downloading music from the Internet during Napster’s popularity.

Ironically, it’s the only Super Bowl ad that actually features an Apple product — not the iPod, but the iMac G4. The ad and promotional campaign was a hit and helped propel the then barely year old iTunes Music Store to new heights.

Rihanna (2023)

After the HAL commercial, Apple did not have a direct presence during the Super Bowl. But Apple returned in 2023 as the title sponsor of the Super Bowl show within a show, the halftime presentation. Apple called it the Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show featuring Rihanna, who hasn’t performed live in public since 2018.

Apple promoted its new Super Bowl presence in the weeks leading up to the game as part of the Apple Music Road to Halftime segment, which included radio shows, live broadcasts, interviews and Apple Music playlists.

Usher (2024)

Apple’s sponsorship of the halftime show was not a one-off. Apple returned the following year with the Apple Music Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show with the user. Apple Music has a special section dedicated to the show, with behind-the-scenes video (filmed on an iPhone, of course), a setlist, Spatial Audio versions of songs, an interview, DJ mixes, and radio shows that were live from the Super Bowl.

Kendrick Lamar (2025)

The Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show with Kendrick Lamar during Super Bowl LIX was the subject of a lot of buzz due to the “rap beef” between Lamar and Drake that took place before the game. According to the NFL, Lamar’s performance drew 133.5 million viewers, the most in Super Bowl halftime show history. That’s a lot of eyes seeing the Apple Music logo. You can stream the performance on Apple Music or YouTube.

Bad Bunny (2026)

Although Apple Music is a sponsor of the Super Bowl Halftime Show, Roc Nation, the entertainment company owned by rapper Jay-Z, selects the performer, according to The Athletic. This year’s pick is Bad Bunny, who hails from Puerto Rico (a US-administered territory) and won several Grammys last weekend, including the coveted Album of the Year. The Bad Bunny Road to Halftime Apple Music page features surround sound, an interview and a trailer; will have more content before and after the show. The Invites app also got in on the fun this year with an “exclusive visual featuring Bad Bunny.

But will Apple’s new ad appear even during the big game? There’s no word yet on Apple running the ad, but Apple would likely want to keep that kind of thing under wraps. Plus, it’s common for a halftime show sponsor to run an ad during the Super Bowl—Pepsi, Bridgestone, Sprint, AOL and others have had separate ads in addition to their sponsorships. A Super Bowl spot is definitely possible, though it’s more likely to be an ad in current rotation and not one that was specifically created for the Super Bowl.