Although he admitted that he isn’t a big football fan, Tom Petty said he couldn’t refuse performing at the world’s biggest annual television event, the Super Bowl.

Non-football fans have quite a strong reason to watch the New York Giants facing the New England Patriots during Sunday’s Super Bowl XLII, as this year’s halftime performance will be covered by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (including Benmont Tench and Scott Thurston).  

"The most significant thing about it is the people watching worldwide, it's probably the biggest audience you can have I would imagine," the 57-year-old rocker said Thursday at a news conference in Phoenix, the site of Sunday's Super Bowl.

"It's quite an honor to be asked; if you look at the people who have done it, it's a very elite crowd . . . it's a great opportunity to play for the whole world at once," Petty said.

"It's mind-blowing; something that you never even dream of," Petty said. "It never crossed my mind. But it's very exciting. We've had quite a week already."

Like previous halftime performers Prince, the Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson and U2, Petty's greatest challenge will come in whittling down his band's work into a tight set.

Asked about what he intends to play during his 12-minute set, Petty said he and his band will try to slip in some of their hits, without thinking about the hundred millions of worldwide viewers tuning in.

"Mostly you just try to remember the next chord," he said.

"We tried to pick the ones that would take you somewhere in that amount of time," he explained. "It's a little bit of a challenge and we've had to kind of rearrange some things, make some a little bit shorter to fit in. But I think we've chosen a good set."

The Super Bowl keeps stretching its broadcasting tentacles. This year's game will be broadcast in 223 countries and territories in 30 languages. There are 60 international broadcasters handling the telecast, including the BBC for the first time.

Tom Petty and his band, who are still going strong 30 years after releasing their first album, also announced their plans of touring the United States and Canada in the forthcoming months.

Also making appearances during Sunday’s show will be Grammy-winning R&B star Alicia Keys, who will warm the crowd for the game, and Jordin Sparks, the 2007 “American Idol” winner who will sing the national anthem in her hometown of Glendale, Ariz.