Usher won't get paid much for his Super Bowl halftime show performance. Here's why
In case you’ve been wondering just how much the NFL is paying Usher for his halftime performance on the world’s biggest stage at Super Bowl 2024, the answer may surprise you.
The man who’s sent nine singles to the top of Billboard's Hot 100, from “Nice & Slow” to “OMG,” is making union scale that day, which works out to a tiny fraction of what entertainers make when they headline a venue as massive as Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium, when a football game isn't competing for the spotlight.
In a statement to The Independent, an NFL rep confirmed in 2023 that the league “covers all costs associated with the show," including travel, and that entertainers do make union scale.
Usher could pull in $1,000 for playing the Super Bowl
Assuming the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists’ latest contract applies, that would work out to more than $1,000 a day — according to People.
Reba McEntire, Post Malone and Andra Day are also making union scale for their pregame performances of the National Anthem, “America the Beautiful” and “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”
Compared to the six-figure profits Rihanna or Usher would normally pull in for a good night’s work, it may not be much, but I wouldn’t call $1,000 chump change. That said, Usher could probably blow that much on tips in the course of a weekend in Vegas.
That’s not why he’s there, though.
Superstars view the Super Bowl as an exposure gig
The Super Bowl halftime show is what’s known as an exposure gig. And unlike when a local band is asked to open for a touring act, and then is made to sell tickets while playing for free or next to nothing, the Super Bowl delivers on the promise of exposure.
In a big way.
Take Rihanna’s show in 2023, which was seen by 121.017 million viewers, a Super Bowl record, according to Nielsen reports.
The previous record holder, Katy Perry, was seen by 121 million viewers.
As was Left Shark.
That’s a lot of people tuning in. And that’s before the Taylor Swift bump introduced a whole new audience to the idea of a Super Bowl.
And assuming they like what they see, they’ll be streaming you later.
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Rihanna's Spotify streams were up 640% on Super Bowl Sunday
According to a story in Variety that ran the day after Super Bowl last year, Rihanna’s Spotify streams went soaring higher than that futuristic floating platform she was riding after her performance. Overall streams were up 640% while “(Expletive) Better Have My Money” — her opening song at an event for which she wasn’t even being paid — saw a spike of 2,600%.
Super Bowl Sunday 2023 was also RiRi’s biggest day in history on Apple Music and Shazam while a story in Forbes said her digital album sales climbed by 301% while her digital song sales saw an uptick of 390%.
In 2020, according to Newsweek, Shakira saw a 230% spike in Spotify streams and Jennifer Lopez saw a surge of 335%. In 2017, Lady Gaga saw a 1,000% increase in song and album sales after the Super Bowl.
It’s important enough The Weeknd contributed an extra $7 million to production costs, on top of what the NFL was paying, to guarantee that everything was perfect.
Forbes has estimated that The Weeknd’s Super Bowl performance could have cost as much as $20 million. Apparently, those funhouse mirrors do not come cheap.
It’s not uncommon for a halftime artist to announce a tour the Monday after halftime.
Usher took a different tactic, announcing a 24-date North American tour five days before the Super Bowl, with presales starting four days out and tickets going on sale to the general public on Super Bowl Monday.
Don't be surprised if those tickets go fast.
Reach the reporter at ed.masley@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-4495. Follow him on Twitter @EdMasley.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: How much will Usher get paid for his Super Bowl halftime show?
