Maroon 5 tease 'SpongeBob' inclusion in Super Bowl halftime show

Maroon 5 has given "SpongeBob SquarePants" fans a reason to be excited ahead of the Super Bowl LIII halftime show.

The band included a quick shot of SpongeBob in a video confirming the performance. The cartoon character makes an appearance around the 32-second mark.

Following the death of the show's creator, Stephen Hillenburg, in November, fans launched an online petition asking that the NFL perform "Sweet Victory" - a song featured in the "Band Geeks" episode in 2001 - at the Super Bowl. The petition has since surpassed 1 million signatures.

Mercedes-Benz Stadium, host of Super Bowl LIII, also potentially teased a possible SpongeBob appearance.