The Real Reason Why the NFL Doesn't Pay Super Bowl Halftime Performers
From humble trumpets to a pregnant Rihanna descending from the sky, the Super Bowl Halftime show has evolved since college marching bands were the main act. It’s home to the moments that launched a thousand memes (hi, left shark), big controversy and legendary performances by Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, The Weeknd, and others.
Get your watch party snacks ready, because this year's show is promising to be iconic. Usher will dominate the world’s largest stage at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, NV on Sunday, February 11, 2024. You'd expect a household name like Usher to cost a pretty penny, but you'd be wrong in this case. One thing hasn’t changed since the first halftime show in 1960: performers don’t get paid.
Why the NFL Does Not Pay Halftime Acts:
The words "Usher tickets," "stadium tour," and "free" don’t usually ever appear beside each other. Yet, just because a direct deposit won’t hit these celebs’ bank accounts doesn’t mean the NFL isn’t still shelling out millions. Instead, the NFL might not cut performers a paycheck, they do cover expense and production costs that can exceed $13 million, according to a 2020 Reuters article. "We do not pay the artists. We cover expenses and production costs," said NFL spokesperson Joanna Hunter to Forbes in 2016. Plus, consider what else they gain by performing on the Super Bowl stage.
What's in it for Usher?
If you’ve ever taken an unpaid internship, the phrase “It pays in exposure” might sound familiar. But instead of “valuable experience,” these artists take home massive album sales after performing at the halftime show. So for Taylor Swift, who's already breaking record after record for her album sales and selling out stadiums all over the world, the deal didn't seem too sweet.
According to Billboard, J. Lo and Shakira saw a 1,013% sales increase of the 14 songs they performed during their combined act in 2020. Justin Timberlake rocked our bodies and the charts when his 2018 performance secured his fourth Billboard No.1 album, “Man of the Woods.” Even Maroon 5, whose 2019 halftime show was harshly criticized, saw the band's sales spike 434%.
It makes total sense when you consider artists drop the number of zeros from their usual invoice for the same reason companies will pay $6.5 million for a 30-second ad this year. The Super Bowl is the most-watched event on television, drawing millions of viewers each year. In 2023, it was the most-watched in TV history when 118.7M fans tuned in for Rihanna's set.
It’s an ideal time for artists to capitalize on upcoming tours, album promotion, brand deals, and, of course, bragging rights. That makes perfect timing for, 8-time-Grammy award winner, Usher as his 9th studio album drops in 2024 and his residency in Las Vegas continues. We don't know yet who will join Usher on the stage, but with a long list of friends in the music industry, we're sure it will be good.
What do you think—should Super Bowl performers get paid?
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