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Thanks in part to LL Cool J‘s “Mama Said Knock You Out,” Pfizer’s new Super Bowl commercial will leave viewers feeling hyped about the medical company’s ongoing cancer research — but because of the inspiring message at its center, it’ll also likely leave you in tears.
Posted to YouTube Friday (Feb. 7), the minute-long commercial opens with a young cancer patient lying in a hospital bed and watching a boxing match introduced by Michael Buffer’s iconic line, “Let’s get ready to rumble!”
The little boy then stands up, suddenly dressed in boxing shorts and gloves, and lands a knockout punch on a celebratory bell on the wall, signifying the end of treatment. After that, he struts through the hospital hallways to the triumphant beat of LL’s iconic 1991 hit as doctors and nurses applaud.
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The celebration continues on the streets, where crowds of people gather to cheer on the young champion on every step to his final destination: home, where his mom tearfully wraps him in a big hug.
“Hey cancer,” reads onscreen text at one point. “We’re gonna knock you out.”
After showing photos of the little boy’s difficult treatment journey, the ad then displays a call to action with more bits of text. “Pfizer is fighting for eight cancer breakthroughs by 2030,” it reads. “Join the fight at PfizerForAll.com.”
The spot is set to air during the Super Bowl broadcast during a commercial break as the Kansas City Chiefs face off against the Philadelphia Eagles Sunday (Feb. 9). Of having his song — which reached No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1991 — featured in such an inspiring ad, the “Loungin” rapper told People, “It feels good to have my song used for such an important cause.”
“Strength and resilience are at the heart of hip-hop, and they’re just as crucial in the fight against cancer,” continued LL, whose wife, Simone Smith, has battled bone cancer. “My family knows firsthand — staying on top of your health and getting screened early can save lives.”
Watch Pfizer’s “Knock Out” Super Bowl ad above.
Netflix will no longer release a nine-hour documentary series about Prince after reaching a deal with his estate, according to multiple reports. Instead, a separate documentary is now in development that will include exclusive content from the late star’s archive. “The Prince Estate and Netflix have come to a mutual agreement that will allow the […]
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The Weeknd is heading back on tour.
Following the release of his recent album Hurry Up Tomorrow and a surprise performance at the Grammys, Abel has announced a 26-date North American stadium tour kicking off May 9. Presale tickets are already live and going fast on Ticketmaster with a general release opening up on Feb. 7. Secure tickets on other resale ticket sites, including StubHub, Vivid Seats, Seat Geek and Gametime.
The massive stadium tour will celebrate the finale of his trilogy of albums: After Hours, Dawn FM and Hurry Up Tomorrow. This also may be the final time he goes on tour under his The Weeknd name, as he’s expected to retire the persona. The tour will start May 9 at at State Farm Stadium in Phoenix and wrap up Sept. 3 at the Alamodome in San Antonio. Along the way, special guests Playboi Carti and Mike Dean will grace the stage at most dates.
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To accompany the album release and tour announcement, the Canadian R&B singer also dropped the trailer for an upcoming Hurry Up Tomorrow film that’s also releasing in May. The film will star The Weeknd alongside Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan. Directed by Trey Edward Shults, the film follows a musician who’s “plagued by insomnia” and “is pulled into an odyssey with a stranger who begins to unravel the very core of his existence,” according to the official synopsis.
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To grab tickets to The Weeknd’s After Hours Til Dawn tour, check out our guide below.
How to Get Tickets to The Weeknd’s ‘After Hours Til Dawn’ Tour
Pre-sale tickets for the The Weeknd’s After Hours Til Dawn tour already went live on Feb. 5 on Ticketmaster. The general public will have their shot on Feb. 7 through Ticketmaster and other resale sites, including StubHub, Vivid Seats, Seat Geek and Gametime.
StubHub is offering tickets for as low as $76. Each purchase comes with the FanProtect Guarantee, which will keep your purchases protected. You can also use the interactive venue map to choose tickets based on price and seating section.
Another option is Vivid Seats, which has tickets for his tour for as low as $72. You can also save $20 off orders of $200+ when you use the code BB2024 at checkout. Each ticket purchase will be protected through the site’s Buyer Guarantee, which you can learn more about here.
SeatGeek currently has tickets starting at $77 and you can utilize the site’s deal rating scale to determine how good of a deal you’re getting. SeatGeek uses a 1-10 rating system with one being the worst deal and 10 being the best deal you can get. You can also save $10 off your ticket purchases of $250+ (offer valid on first purchases only) when you use the code BILLBOARD10.
For affordable early tickets, Gametime is offering ticket options for as low as $72. Purchases will receive the Gametime Guarantee, which includes event cancellation protection, a low price guarantee and one-time ticket delivery. Bonus offer: get $20 off orders of $150+ when you use the code SAVE20 at checkout.
The devil works hard, but drag superstar Jan Sport and musician/producer Andrew Barret Cox both work harder. In a viral clip posted Tuesday, Sport and Cox shared a video of their live performance of Lady Gaga‘s new single “Abracadabra.” Re-creating the video — which Gaga premiered Sunday during the 2025 Grammy Awards — at New […]
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The UFC goes to “The Land Down Under” for UFC 312. Two premier middleweight fighters face off against each other as the main event. South African fighter Dricus “Stillknocks” du Plessis (22-2-0) defends his UFC Middleweight Championship belt against American Sean “Tarzan” Strickland (29-6-0) in a title fight rematch on Saturday (Feb. 8).
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UFC 312: Du Plessis vs. Strickland 2 takes place at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia, with a start time of 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT. The main card is expected to begin at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.
Want to watch UFC 312 online? This event is streaming on ESPN+ with pay-per-view access, which goes for $79.99 for subscribers only.
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If you’re not a subscriber, you can get PPV access and an ESPN+ monthly subscription — which is $11.99 per month — for $91.98 in total, or pick up an ESPN+ annual subscription for $134.98. The annual subscription bundle is the best deal because it saves you more than 30% overall instead of going month-to-month.
Check out the full UFC 312 fight card below, and PPV livestream here.
Main Card, 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT — PPV
Dricus du Plessis (Champion) vs. Sean Strickland (Middleweight) — Title Fight, Main Even
Zhang Weili (Champion) vs. Tatiana Suarez (Women’s Strawweight) — Title Fight
Justin Tafa vs. Tallison Teixeira (Heavyweight)
Jimmy Crute vs. Rodolfo Bellato (Light Heavyweight)
Jake Matthews vs. Francisco Prado (Welterweight)
Prelims Card, 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT — ESPN+, Disney+, ESPN2
Jack Jenkins vs. Gabriel Santos (Featherweight)
Tom Nolan vs. Viacheslav Borshchev (Lightweight)
Wang Cong vs. Bruna Brasil (Women’s Flyweight)
Colby Thicknesse vs. Aleksandre Topuria (Bantamweight)
Early Prelims Card, 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT — ESPN+, Disney+
Rong Zhu vs. Kody Steele (Lightweight)
Jonathan Micallef vs. Kevin Jousset (Welterweight)
Quillan Salkilld vs. Anshul Jubli (Lightweight)
Park Hyun-sung vs. Nyamjargal Tumendemberel (Flyweight)
Subscribers to ESPN+ and Disney+ can livestream the early prelim and prelim portions of UFC 312 for free. In fact, the prelims card airs on the cable networks ESPN2, so it’s streamable on DirecTV Stream and Fubo, as well as Hulu + Live TV — which comes with Hulu, ESPN+ and Disney+.
In addition, you can get the Disney Trio — which comes with ESPN+, Hulu and Disney+ — starting as low as $16.99 per month.
What Is Du Plessis and Strickland’s Walkout Music for UFC 312
Although the UFC has yet to announce each fighter’s walkout music for UFC 312, the pair usually go out to the octagon to the same songs during their matches. Dricus du Plessis walks out to two songs, South Africa’s National Anthem and “Live It Up” by Airbourne, while Sean Strickland prefers to walk out to “When Johnny Comes Marching Home” by Megaraptor.
UFC 312: Du Plessis vs. Strickland 2 is available to stream on ESPN+ with PPV on Saturday, Feb. 9, starting at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT, with the main card beginning at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.
Want more? For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best Xbox deals, studio headphones and Nintendo Switch accessories.
Saturday Night Live is celebrating 50 years of its cultural impact, and Lorne Michaels’ iconic sketch comedy program is hosting a live, three-hour telecast from Studio 8H in Rockefeller Center.
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A slew of star-studded talent is set to make appearances during the show, including Sabrina Carpenter, Paul McCartney, Adam Driver, Ayo Edebiri, Bad Bunny, Dave Chappelle, John Mulaney, Kim Kardashian, Martin Short, Miley Cyrus, Paul Simon, Pedro Pascal, Peyton Manning, Quinta Brunson, Robert De Niro, Scarlett Johansson, Steve Martin, Tom Hanks and Woody Harrelson, with additional names to be announced.
The special will air on Sunday (Feb. 16) at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on NBC and simulcast on Peacock.
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The SNL50: The Anniversary Special telecast will broadcast two days after the Jimmy Fallon-hosted live homecoming concert at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall, featuring performances by Bad Bunny, Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, Post Malone, Jelly Roll, the Backstreet Boys, Arcade Fire, Bonnie Raitt, Brandi Carlile, Brittany Howard, Chris Martin, David Byrne, DEVO, Eddie Vedder, Jack White, Mumford & Sons, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Robyn, The B-52s and The Roots.
The show will take place at 8 p.m. ET on Feb. 14, as well as stream live on Peacock with fan screening events scheduled for several Regal Cinemas theaters.
Ahead of the 50th anniversary celebrations this week, check out the 15-second teaser for the SNL50: The Anniversary Special below.
Amsterdam’s electronic, queer-inclusive Milkshake Festival recently announced that rapper Azealia Banks would be joining the lineup for its 2025 festivities. Now, two days later, the event has cut her from the lineup altogether.
In an announcement posted on Tuesday (Feb. 4), the organization revealed that Banks would be “serving C-NT” at its July 2025 festival. But in the comments of that announcement, a number of fans implored Milkshake to reconsider the choice. One commenter wrote in Dutch that Banks was “an artist who has repeatedly spoken negatively about the LGBTI+ community, and especially about our transgender friends.” Another added in Dutch that as “a festival that claims to stand for a safe and inclusive community,” Milkshake should instead “give the stage to artists where everyone feels safe and welcome.”
In an initial statement posted to its Instagram on Wednesday (Feb. 5), Milkshake told fans “we hear you,” and said that it would “try to create a platform for artists who haven’t always had equal access to popular spaces” at the annual festival. “We strive to pay homage to the roots of club culture, a community that has always been at the forefront in fighting for equality,” the statement read. “We have reached out to the management of Azealia Banks to get a clear statement. Please allow us some time to manage this situation.”
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Commenters continued to call for Banks to be removed as a performer — and on Thursday (Feb. 6), Milkshake confirmed that the “212” rapper would no longer be performing at the festival. “It is clear to us that we made a mistake and that we have overlooked essential information. We sincerely apologize for this,” the statement read. “The safety of our visitors, our team, the artists, and crew will always be our main priority. Furthermore, we will assess our initial social media response for learnings and improvements.”
Billboard has reached out to Banks’ reps for comment.
While the festival was praised by some commenters for its decision, others continued to criticize the organization for enlisting Banks in the first place and for their various responses. One commenter summed up their feelings on the matter in Dutch: “Maybe it’s time to take a hard look at the exploitation of the queer and trans community and make Milkshake a fairer festival as a whole,” they wrote.
Banks — who has become well-known in recent years for her inflammatory rants on social media — does indeed have a track record of making homophobic and transphobic comments online. Back in 2015, Banks compared the LGBTQ+ community to “the gay white KKK’s” and was filmed hurling homophobic slurs at a flight attendant. In 2020 and 2021, she made a series of transphobic comments about trans women, specifically when it came to gender-affirming healthcare and surgeries.
On Tuesday (Feb. 4), though, Banks appeared to backpedal some of those comments when she called out Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling for her transphobic comments. “I love you down sis, but [trans women] are not a threat to your femininity,” she wrote on her X account. “You are really too rich and legendary to keep spewing the same stuff over and over and over.”
Read both of Milkshake Festival’s full statements regarding Azealia Banks below:
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Super Bowl LIX is almost here.
The two-time reigning champ Kansas City Chiefs take on the Philadelphia Eagles in a must-watch rematch of the 2023 Super Bowl Whether you’re a fan of either team, tuning in just to catch Taylor Swift’s game day outfit, or impatiently waiting to see what songs Kendrick Lamar will perform during his highly-anticipated halftime show, Sunday will be a can’t-miss event. Kicking off at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans this Sunday, Feb. 9, at 6:30 p.m. ET (3:30 p.m. PT), the Big Game will air on Fox and be available to stream live on DirecTV Stream, Fubo TV, Hulu + Live TV and NFL+.
How to Stream Super Bowl LIX, At a Glance:
Best overall streaming option: DirecTV Stream, $86.99/month
Best free trial streaming option: Fubo TV, $84.99/month
Best budget-friendly streaming option: NFL+, $14.99/month
Best upgrade streaming option: Hulu + Live TV, $82.99/month
The Kansas City Chiefs are looking to make history this Sunday, as the first team to ever win the Super Bowl three straight times. Standing in their way, however, is a dominant Philadelphia Eagles team eager to get revenge after a nail-biting loss to the Chiefs two years ago.
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Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and coach Andy Reid are no strangers to the big game, as this will be their fifth Super Bowl appearance in six years. On the flip side, for the Birds, this Super Bowl will be their second appearance in three years and the first-ever Big Game for record-breaking Eagles running back Saquan Barkley.
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Kendrick Lamar is set to headline the Super Bowl halftime show with at least one special guest, SZA. After recently sweeping at the 2025 Grammys and winning five awards, including record and song of the year for “Not Like Us,” we’d be surprised if the hit diss track isn’t performed. With his TDE partner-in-crime confirmed, will fans see the pair perform their Black Panther hit “All the Stars” or their latest bop “Luther” from K.Dot’s recent GNX album? Vote here on what songs you’d love to see Kendrick perform during the show.
For more on Super Bowl LIX and how to watch online, see below.
How to Watch & Stream Super Bowl LIX Online for Free
The Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles will face off this Sunday, Feb. 9, at Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans. Kicking off live on Fox at 6:30 p.m. ET (3:30 p.m. PT), the football game can be streamed live on DirecTV Stream, which offers a free trial for five days. DirecTV Stream plans start at just $86.99/month for 75+ channels including the Fox and other local and cable channels.
Not familiar with FuboTV? If you’ve been looking for live television for a good price, check out FuboTV. Subscribers can stream hundreds of cable, network and sports channels with Fubo’s Pro package which is $84.99 a month for 145 channels such as CBS, ABC, Fox, NBC, FX, TLC, AMC, MSNBC, ESPN, FS1 and Nickelodeon.
Will the Super Bowl be available on Hulu? Yes! But you’ll need Hulu + Live TV to watch. The subscription gets you access to more than 90 live channels and loads of on-demand content that you can stream at home or on the go for $82 a month. With the subscription, you’ll also gain access to Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+.
Super Bowl LIX is available to stream on your mobile device, phone, computer, smart TV and other devices via NFL+. The Premium Tier is $14.99/ month for instant access to on demand content including full and condensed game replays and ad-free streaming. The Premium plan also includes NFL RedZone and allows you to watch up to eight games simultaneously.
Azealia Banks has become more known for her public beefs than her music in recent years, and now, she’s starting a new one with author J.K. Rowling
The rapper — who has herself issued a number of anti-trans rants online — took aim at the bestselling Harry Potter author and noted anti-trans advocate in a pair of posts to her X account on Feb. 4. Responding to a fan asking why Banks’ body looked a certain way, the “212” rapper called out the way people discuss women’s bodies in conjunction with the ongoing issue of “transvestigation” online.
“I think the dolls are fab and do not need to shade them or change myself because my femininity is not threatened by them,” she wrote. “All of the insane anti-trans paranoid people like @jk_rowling feel their femininity is threatened for whatever reason and try to mask that insecurity with ‘science’ like anyone is stupid and doesn’t already know these things.”
In a follow-up, Banks directly addressed Rowling who began following her after her initial tweet. “No shade @jk_rowling thanks for the follow and I love you down sis, but [trans women] are not a threat to your femininity,” she wrote. “You are really too rich and legendary to keep spewing the same stuff over and over and over.”
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Continuing, Banks claimed that her own brother identifies as trans, and shared her experiences watching someone struggle with their gender identity. “I have witnessed first hand the type of misery, pain, ostracism, suicide attempts, unnecessary and unwarranted abuse my mother doled out to my brother, the discomfort with his body — it’s not a mental illness it’s a spiritual thing,” she shared. “One would assume that you of all people who have written books about magic and esoteric things would be able to comprehend and understand how states of consciousness vary in a human being. It’s been YEARS sis.”
Closing out her comments, Banks called out Rowling’s views one final time, writing, “I really do think it’s a front for some weird inferiority thing that’s truly just in your mind. I Say this with lots of love and respect.”
The latest tweets represent something of a switch for Banks, who has been criticized multiple times over the past years for her own transphobic comments, in which she’s claimed that transgender women are not real women and spread misinformation about gender-affirming care.
Rowling, meanwhile, has been a vocal critic of transgender issues for years, regularly spreading inaccurate information regarding gender-affirming care, trans women using women’s restrooms and trans youth participating in women’s sports and much more.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. From Bud Light to Doritos, brands can’t get enough of Post Malone. Now, the “I Had Some Help” singer has partnered […]