In August 2014, it was reported that the NFL had a shortlist of three potential acts for the Super Bowl XLIX halftime show, including British rock band Coldplay, American singer Katy Perry, and Barbadian singer Rihanna.

However, it was also reported by The Wall Street Journal that league representatives asked representatives of potential acts if they would be willing to provide financial compensation to the NFL in exchange for their appearance, in the form of either an up-front fee, or a cut of revenue from concert performances made following the Super Bowl. While these reports were denied by an NFL spokeswoman, the request had, according to the Journal, received a "chilly" response from those involved.

Fans of "Weird Al" Yankovic launched an unsuccessful campaign to have Yankovic perform the halftime show to promote his album Mandatory Fun.[1][2][3]

On October 9, 2014, Billboard announced that Katy Perry will perform at halftime and the NFL confirmed the announcement on November 23, 2014. On January 10, 2015, Perry announced that Lenny Kravitz would make an appearance at the halftime show. On January 30, 2015, it was revealed that Missy Elliott, who previously worked with Perry on "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.) (Remix)", would be an additional performer