Only a few seconds of Ozzy Osbourne‘s half-time performance at the NFL season opening was broadcast on television by NBC.
On Thursday evening (September 8), the singer performed a multi-song medley at half-time of the game between the Los Angeles Rams and Buffalo Bills, which marked the first game of the 2022 NFL season.
However, viewers on NBC were upset to find that only a few seconds of the performance were broadcast on air. During half-time, broadcaster Maria Taylor introduced Ozzy’s performance and the screen cut to him half-way through a performance of the title track from new album ‘Patient Number 9’.
It was only on screen for a few seconds though, before NBC cut back to pundits discussing the first half of the match.
See footage from his performance and angry reactions from fans below.
OZZY doing Crazy Train #NFLKickoff2022 pic.twitter.com/2AHeH8SdyV
— BlitzburghUSAVideos (@sdextrasmedia) September 9, 2022
Man, running Ozzy Osbourne out there at 73 being held upright by a bracket. pic.twitter.com/Rz7qCXSwzo
— gquinn16 (@gquinn16) September 9, 2022
The @NFL and @NBC need to immediately apologize to both Ozzy & the millions watching for not showing his halftime performance. No excuses!
— Adam William (@Adam___William) September 9, 2022
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Wtf was that? You say “here’s Ozzy Osbourne” cut to him for 5 seconds then back to the half time recap no one cares about? Thanks NBC. #NFLKickoff
— Lawrence Gutierrez (@Lettuce_505) September 9, 2022
NBC absolutely fucking sucks for not showing Ozzy Osbourne play the halftime show
— Jonny (@mtndewnomore) September 9, 2022
Don’t get me wrong I’m invested in this game but the audacity for NBC to only show 2 seconds of Ozzy’s performance is absolutely criminal I’m actually offended
— Billz ☀️ (@ayyyyeitsbillie) September 9, 2022
Fuck NBC for cutting away from Ozzy so a bunch of chuckleheads can talk about stats and shit.
— 🇺🇸 Bill 🇺🇦 (@BillzThoughts) September 9, 2022
The event was Osbourne’s first live performance in nearly four years, with his last appearance coming before the pandemic during the AMA Awards. Joining Post Malone and Travis Scott, the trio performed their collaborative track “Take What You Want”. In a recent documentary, Malone shared about his initial meeting with the rock legend, calling the moment “absolutely fucking mind-blowing”.
The day after the NFL performance (September 9), Osbourne dropped his thirteenth studio record, ‘Patient Number 9’. The album features contributions from Jeff Beck, Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith, Metallica’s Robert Trujillo, Zakk Wylde, and the late Taylor Hawkins from Foo Fighters.
Reviewing ‘Patient Number 9’, NME wrote: “At 73 years old and battling with his health, you might not expect Osbourne to keep that bar particularly high. But, for the most part, ‘Patient Number 9’ does just that – it’s a fizzing piece of hard-rock magic.
“The superstitious metal frontman might have revealed in a recent Independent interview that he tries to “avoid looking at” the number 13, but we’re lucky to have his magnificent 13th solo album.”