Lindsey Stirling Speaks Out After NBC Airs Only Seconds of Her Halftime Show
There’s a penalty flag on the field for NBC’s broadcast of Lindsey Stirling’s halftime show during the Packers–Dolphins game on Thursday, November 28. Viewers are frustrated with the network for only showing a snippet of Stirling’s performance, and now the violinist is addressing the snub.
Rather than showcasing Stirling in action at Lambeau Field on Thursday, NBC instead showed a documentary short about Miami Dolphins fullback Alec Ingold, USA Today reports. Then, before cutting to commercial, the network aired mere seconds of Stirling’s performance.
Even next day reactions have not stopped over the Fan felt Diss to @LindseyStirling by @NBCSports @SNFonNBC @nbc for the less than 15sec airing of the Halftime Show they asked her to do! Fans are outrage!!! pic.twitter.com/9iSojWBflU
— Nana’s Nonsense Gaming (@Nanas_Nonsense) November 29, 2024
Other networks, meanwhile, broadcast much more of other artists’ halftime performances on Thursday, as Shaboozey performed during the Lions–Bears game on CBS and Lainey Wilson performed during the Cowboys–Giants game on Fox.
Fans of Stirling and other viewers spoke out via social media after only getting a glimpse of the America’s Got Talent alum.
We don’t get to see the Lindsey Sterling halftime show?!
— WI Girl (@victoriousscret.bsky.social) November 28, 2024 at 9:02 PM
We only get like, 10 seconds of the Lindsey Sterling halftime show at the Packers and Dolphins game?
Hateful.— mrred43.bsky.social (@mrred43.bsky.social) November 28, 2024 at 9:13 PM
What the hell NBC? You advertise a halftime show with Lindsey Sterling and show her on tv for not even 5 seconds?!
— Josh P (@rendarselin.bsky.social) November 28, 2024 at 9:08 PM
“Massive L from @NBCSports for giving us a canned human interest story instead of showing Lindsey Stirling, which easily would have been the best halftime performance of the day,” one person wrote on X.
“Poor Lindsey Stirling at the @MiamiDolphins and @packers Thanksgiving game,” someone else posted. “Shaboozey and Lainey Wilson got their halftime performance aired in full. She got barely 10 seconds. I wouldn’t say [I’m] a fan, but @NBCSports should be shamed.”
An NBC Sports spokesperson told USA Today that the network has presented an in-depth, human-interest feature during each primetime Thanksgiving game since 2013, often followed by a brief showing of the in-stadium performance. The newspaper adds NBC only offered seconds of Steve Aoki’s performance during its broadcast of the the 49ers–Seahawks game last Thanksgiving.
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Stirling acknowledged getting short shrift on Instagram on Friday, November 29. “Thank you so much to the @packers for having us and for treating us like queens!” she wrote. “Thank you to all the Green Bay fans for being so enthusiastic during our performance. It was a night I’ll never forget — my first stadium performance. Sorry to all my fans who tuned in to watch and didn’t get to see it. I appreciate all the posts of support.”
Conversation94 Comments
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Comments are closed on this story.
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I hate to tell NBC, but saying "actually, we snub all of our artists during their halftime performances" isn't the winning statement they think it is. I hope that in the future, other performers take note and refuse to book the show. If you want to show some other segment during halftime, stop booking performers and just show the segment on the screens at stadium too. Problem solved 🤷🏻♀️
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You do understand she was booked by the League and the Cowboys.... Not NBC
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Don't let facts and reason get in the way of this person's silly response
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NBC is the entity that kept hyping a halftime show that they had no intention of actually showing.
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Maybe it's you that doesn't understand how things work?
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Clown take from a total clown. Not even ONE person has ‘upvoted’ this ignorance.
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Well, since the network admitted to doing this before, performers beware. If exposure beyond the immediate stadium crowd is important to you, do not book here.
I was very sad not to see her performance..she is amazing. So wrong to do that, NBC!
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She's awesome. I was able to see her in concert twice (the last was 8 or 9 years ago now). Fantastic shows both times.
NBC does do the bio piece each year, so it wasn't a deliberate snub. It's just habitual stupidity.
I'm curious how many people gave a crap about what they showed instead.
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I've watched the games on NBC here and there for the past couple of years and I can't tell you who a single bio segment was about for the ones I've seen. I know I've seen the segments before, I just don't remember the details. However, I can tell you about other halftime performers I've seen on other channels (such as Elle Goulding or Meghan Trainor). If others are like me, then it's likely almost no one cared about the bio segment, and unfortunately for the players they feature, people won't even remember it next year.
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It was also a repeat of a story that has already been shown before. I’m sure most people would have preferred to see her performance over a repeat human interest story.
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NBC should be ashamed. why book a STAR PERFORMER then show some STUPID human interest story when everyone would rather have seen the full halftime show, especially when it was the incomparable Lindsey Sterling. BOO on you NBC!!!!
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So glad I only had to sit through 10 seconds of that mess
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NBC IS GARBAGE! I’ll make sure to boycott them😡
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They didn't book her. The packers did, it's their game so they control the half time show.
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Lol. "Incomparable" 🙄
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Once again the “legacy” network has let us down.
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Literally nothing good about Comcast or its properties.
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She got famous on an NBC show. This is terrible branding for them, on top of how insulting it is to her.
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Good point
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Well, no. She got famous on YouTube years before the NBC show. She's been on that platform for years.
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She didn't get famous on YouTube until after she was on America's Got Talent. It was because of the criticism she received on AGT that she became the performer she is today.
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She was the entire reason I wasted my time watching a game that I don't care about when I could have been actually entertaining myself doing anything else.
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You DO know there are about a zillion other ways to consume her content, right? Are you the person that goes to the movies because you think it's the only way you can have popcorn?
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Watching a live show in one of her biggest venues she has ever played in for an artist you love is pretty special. Stop being a turd and realize what you are saying. Don't advertise a half-time show, just to interrupt it for an unadvertised human interest story, that HAS BEEN PLAYED BEFORE.
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Football fans couldn't care less about that girl and her performance. I didn't see any advertisement for her so I can see why you're whining if you did and tuned in for it but seriously, go to YouTube and watch her
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That's how I feel about a football game too. You can watch that anytime on you tube, DVR etc. Not the same if it's not live huh?
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Yeah there's nothing like waking up, ready to watch the game that aired last night, only to have it spoiled before you even sit down.
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I've been a football fan since the '80s. I've been a Lindsay Sterling fan since her first album.
Way to overgeneralize.
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NBC, you owe Lindsey a free 2 hour concert special aired on your network. Preferred in place of overpaid "athletes" playing football aired on your network.
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Curious as why you have althelets in quotation marks?
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Because they're genetically "gifted" "men" playing "a" "sport."
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😂
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You forgot quotes on your emoji
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Yes, football players are athletes. I'm not sure what the quotes are for. And, news flash, shows aired on NBC are free.
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Athletes should be paid way more than music artists. It takes so much more work and effort to be an elite athlete that it's almost incomparable. Don't tune in when there are sports on TV and just go to YouTube to watch this girl you like that football fans have never heard of. NBC messed up by booking her in the first place
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You must be “fun” at parties 😒
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Because you haven't heard of her, doesn't mean millions of others haven't. Her music is featured in video game soundtracks heard by billions of people, beyond making hits with various music artists and performingsold out shows globally on her own. She's also athletic and knows what work ethic it takes to compete. Perhaps don't be a smug ass, when you're the uninformed one.
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Her performance is garbage.
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Justice for Lindsey! I'd like a full apology to Lindsey Stirling and her fans! How insulting and disgraceful, NBC.
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How about this: We are sorry that the "artist" you wanted to see wasn't given more airtime because most people would rather watch advertisements than her performance.
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I was pea- cocked off.
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Most of the time the halftime show is better than the game. But what do u expect from the networks, they all a bunch of overpaid people. That's why I don't waste my time with them. Especially Fox.
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No, the halftime show is literally never better than the game. Get a clue.
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Wrong
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It's literally an opinion. You can have a different one w/o being rude. Some people don't even like watching sports and only watch the halftime show bc they like the artist. Some people don't even know the artist and are just really crazy about sports. Both can be true.
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Lol yes it is
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Much like their Olympics coverage!
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All these upset fans who can't spell her name correctly.
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It's a violin. And dancing. Not great TV.
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NBC did this to the marching bands during the Macy's parade as well. I was watching to see my hometown's marching band perform, only to see their performance cut short by commercials...
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Yeah my family were disgusted by the lack of parade coverage and the overabundance of talking and interviewing the people on the sidelines.
Tragic.
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Especially since the documentary they played was PARTICULARLY uninteresting. I noticed they only played a few seconds and would have MUCH rather watched that halftime show.
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Obviously, NBC needs to readjust their programming. You know, like everyone has to sometimes. Don't do the same stupid thing you did 11 years ago, bring it in to the 21st century!
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Never heard of Shaboozey until Thursday. Been a fan of Lindsey for years. Her Christmas music is especially enchanting. But if I liked the same garbage they expect me like...I wouldn't have stopped listening to the radio 21 years ago.
Certainly less than zero interest in Beyonce for the Super Bowl.
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I haven't heard of Lindsey or Shabooby, and there are plenty of big butts in the Super Bowl game, they don't need another one at half time.
However, I will lookup Lindsey after this article.
NBC is always trying to push the DEI junk nonstop.
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I think if this is the way a network is going to treat a fantastic artist and her crew NO else should ever agree to do a half time show for them!! NBC u totally suck and have no respect for anyone!!! I guess I know what network I will not watch!!!
Lindsay and her crew have more class in their little fingers than your entire network!!
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The idiots cut the best part of the broadcast.
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This is what happens when you're transphobic, you get appropriate air time. She had it coming. Karma. Thank you NBC for the human interest story!
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Really?????? Kamala LOLOLOL
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Lindsay Sterling sucks anyway. No loss here.
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You invite her to perform you set it all up then blow the woman's big moment?? Can anyone say Hedi?? In reverse. It's so unprofessional but yet typical. You have nerve to try and run I don't know how many channels at on e and yet do it so poorly..
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Somehow I don't think she gives a s*** what you whiners have to say. I have little doubt in my mind that she didn't know what she was getting herself into and was obviously grateful to perform.
Clearly none of you know how things work
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Do people realize the halftime show is organized by the team, not the network??? The only reason you see the SB halftime show is halftime is longer, and it's the SB. Good grief nobody owes this girl anything. It's not like it was a concert and they went to commercial break as soon as ahd came on. If you're watching a sporting event for the HT show, that's your problem.
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You would have been a much stronger argument if the other networks didn't air their halftime shows same day.
I had 0% interest in those ones, and 5% interest in the story NBC put in place of Lindsay's show.
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NBC Sports simply sucks. They use that stupid idiot Tirico as an announcer, and cut off the halftimes shows at Thanksgiving. Sure, show the damn commercials, NBC. Make all the money that you can. But don't show a legitimate half time show. You don't make any money off of that, do you? smh
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The least the garbage network can do is release the footage of her peformance. Don't tell me they don't have it, you know they do
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She plays the violin, right. Srfu.
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Pretty sorry for NBC. Don't advertise about the half time show if you're not going to show it.
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It's a football game and football broadcast. If you want a live music show go to a venue that has one.
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😡😡😡🤬
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I remember seeing Ozzy for about 3 seconds before too
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If she was black she would of received her full time and everyone knows it
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She was the ONLY thing I was interested in seeing in that whole debacle. Pretty short sighted of them to not realize her potential
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It's sad but not surprising that NBC or any network missed this opportunity but ultimately the NFL is responsible. What's with all the Blue sky comments did they pay to be promoted? Everyone that I know has been banned from that app for claiming there are only two genders.
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We can't compete with "B", CaN wE?!?
F*** "BeYoNcE!!!"
Lindsey deserves better!!!
That's what's up!!! Y'all did her dirty!!!
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My daughter never watches sports but tuned in to see Lindsey. So, very disappointing.
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NBC sucks donkey 🥜
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These posters included in the article are such huge fans that they can't even spell her name correctly.
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It’s probably auto correct since it’s not a common spelling
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The Ingold story kept me watching. I would have definitely changed the channel if we had to watch the halftime show. Probably a majority of people felt this way but don't feel the need to say anything.
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You have absolutely NO clue what you’re talking about
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Well that PO'd about a half a dozen people. And they're all here in the comment section.
The rest of us click on the article just to figure out who Lindsey Sterling is...
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A lot more than a dozen ppl were pissed off, and most people wouldn't even click on an article abt someone they don't know.
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Networks stopped broadcasting half time shows so long ago with the exception of the Superbowl. You're lucky that you saw even a few seconds of her on the field. Not sure I understand the outage here.
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Maybe because the other two networks showed their half time shows on the same day, exposing your comment as entirely false.
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^This
I watched the previous games and didn't enjoy the halftime shows. Personal preference. But when I heard Lindsay Sterling was going to be on the NBC game I was stoked. Then I heard her performance start quietly in the background as they started the story about "A man from a town with 508 people and 0 stop lights."
Then 14 seconds of Lindsay...
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I've not really heard of her but looks like she dances and mimes playing a violin. Not the most exciting thing ever.
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She doesn't mime playing the violin, she actually plays it. Playing the violin while jumping around and dancing is extremely hard to do. Also, it's not about how exciting the show is, it's about the fact that they advertised it only to show a tiny snippet when fans were expecting more.
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I'm sure she normally plays live, but, unless the broadcast video and sound was out of sync, it did not look like she was playing live at all. If so, watching the performance was pointless as you could easily just listen to a recording of her music. Same as when a singer lip syncs. They're cheating their fans. Not suggesting she was cheating hers, since the producers probably insisted it not be live due to technical reasons.
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I bet if she weren't white...
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Nope. Steve Aoki got identical treatment last year.
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And he's not black 🤷♂️
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The sad thing is you think you're making a point.
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Skin color has NOTHING to do with anything
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