NBC has apologized for M.I.A.'s middle finger moment during Sunday's Super Bowl halftime show.

The rapper flipped the bird while performing alongside Madonna and Nicki Minaj on the network's telecast, which was watched by millions as one of the biggest events on television.

"We apologize for the inappropriate gesture that aired during halftime. It was a spontaneous gesture that our delay system caught late," NBC said in a statement posted on EW.com.

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M.I.A., known for her rebellious, brash persona and music, performed in a cheerleader outfit for a performance of Madonna's latest single, "Gimme All Your Luvin,'" on which she and Minaj -- also onstage in a pom-pom girl uniform -- are featured rappers.

Her bratty gesture recalled another malfunction of the wardrobe variety in 2004, when Janet Jackson famously flashed a nipple while performing with Justin Timberlake in the halftime show, sending the FCC and viewers into a frenzy.