Tom Petty [ tickets ] & The Heartbreakers will play the biggest stage in America next February, rocking the halftime show of Feb. 3's Super Bowl XLII, organizers have announced.

The halftime show of the National Football League's annual championship game is traditionally coveted by musical performers, who gain a huge lead-in audience from the game itself; this year's performance by Prince drew more than 140 million US viewers, according to the NFL.

Recent halftime acts for the big game have also included The Rolling Stones in 2006, Paul McCartney in 2005, and 2004's infamous "wardrobe malfunction" pairing of Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake.

The Super Bowl, which will be televised by Fox, will be held at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, AZ, which also plays home to the NFL's Arizona Cardinals.

Tire-maker Bridgestone has signed on as title sponsor for the Super Bowl's halftime show for both Petty's turn in 2008, as well as the following year's event, marking the first official Super Bowl exposure for either party.

The singer and his band toured last year to support "Highway Companion," his third solo release and 18th overall career album. The set debuted at No. 4 on The Billboard 200, making it the Pettyr's highest-ever chart debut. At the time of the outing, he told Rolling Stone the trek could be his last.

Petty continues to stay busy hosting the XM Satellite Radio show "Tom Petty [ tickets ]'s Hidden Treasures," which recently began its third season. He and his band can also be heard on the just-released tribute CD "Goin' Home: A Tribute to Fats Domino," on which they do a rendition of "I'm Walkin."