The Super Bowl is coming up on Sunday, February 11 and there's a lot to look forward to no matter where you fall on the whole "watching football for hours on end" thing. Specifically Usher's halftime performance, a giant showcase that'll pay tribute to Black artists who came before him and may feature a surprise guest or two.
The Super Bowl Halftime Show typically lasts about 13 minutes and is seen by over 100 million people around the world in real time. In other words: It's a massive mini-concert that makes the game much more fun. So you'd think performers would be getting a giant paycheck from the NFL. But nope!
Super Bowl Halftime Show Performers Literally Don't Get Paid
Before you write an angry letter to the National Football League, it's not just Usher. The NFL simply doesn't pay performers, like, ever. As a spokesperson bluntly put it to Forbes: “We do not pay the artists. We cover expenses and production costs.” Kay! Though, I guess they technically offer a “union scale” because they have to (but it's very little).
That said, the NFL and Apple do cover the cost of putting on the Halftime Show, which can be expensive. How expensive, you ask? Jennifer Lopez and Shakira's Halftime Show apparently cost the NFL $13 million.
Meanwhile, artists have been known to spend their own money making the production even better—both The Weeknd and Dr. Dre spent $7 million on their shows. In other words, some performers are technically losing money (at least up front).
Soooo...why would anyone say yes to this gig?
The Platform Still Makes It Worth It
To put it simply: Performing at the Halftime Show is the equivalent of getting a 13-minute commercial to promote your music to over 100 million people who are sitting around eating chips and dip (me). And artists end up cashing in as a result—at least based on post-show streaming numbers put together by various reputable outlets like Forbes and Billboard. On that note, let's take a look at how performing at the show has impacted artists' sales over the years:
Meanwhile, Rihanna brilliantly/flawlessly/ingeniously used the show to promote Fenty Beauty, which—according to the folks at Forbes Australia—generated $88.3 million in "media impact value."
On top of that, there's opportunity for artists to drop new music ahead of the Super Bowl and use halftime to promote it/drive sales, which Usher is doing by ingeniously dropping his album, Coming Home, on February 9:
He's also seamlessly scheduled tour promotion right around his Halftime Show, too:
Dancers Are Paid...but It Was a Whole Thing
The Los Angeles Times revealed that in 2021, there were both paid and unpaid dancers involved in the Halftime Show, a controversy that caused SAG-AFTRA to step in. Fortunately in January 2022, Deadline reported the union and producers worked out an agreement where “no professional dancers will be asked to work for free.”
“SAG-AFTRA will be advising our professional dancer members that they should not be rehearsing or working on the Super Bowl halftime show without compensation,” SAG-AFTRA said in a statement. “We are grateful to Roc Nation, their producer and in particular our member Jay-Z, for their collaboration and commitment to professional artists.”
Noted!
FAQs
While the short concert is known to be one of the most-viewed TV broadcasts every year, the artists are never paid.
Why don't Super Bowl halftime performers get paid? ›
Brian McCarthy, the NFL's vice president of communications, told Newsweek in 2022: “The NFL covers all costs associated with the show and does pay the performers union scale. There is not an appearance fee, but the artists are indeed paid union scale.”
How much did Michael Jackson get paid for the Super Bowl? ›
Michael Jackson famously requested $1 million to perform at the 1993 Super Bowl Halftime Show. The NFL said no and he eventually balked and performed for free.
How much did Prince get paid for the Super Bowl? ›
2001: Aerosmith, NSYNC, $11 million. 2007: Prince, $12 million. 2013: Beyoncé, $600,000.
How much does Rihanna make per show? ›
However, it has been speculated that when the same tycoon hired Beyoncé back in 2018 he paid her around $4 million and reports suggest that Rihanna typically charges between $1.5 million to $8 million per show.
Who turned down the Super Bowl halftime show in 2024? ›
For years, Swift has allegedly declined the slot due to having inked a “long-term partnership” with Coca-Cola, the rival brand to the Super Bowl Halftime sponsor, Pepsi. When Apple Music took over as the official sponsor in 2022, there were rumors that she was offered the gig.
How much did Dr. Dre make off the Super Bowl? ›
Dre Won't Be Paid For The Super Bowl Halftime Show — But Here's How It Could Pay Off Later. I'm an assistant editor at Forbes covering media and entertainment. This article is more than 2 years old. Dr.
Was Taylor Swift at the Super Bowl? ›
The pop star completed her epic trip from her tour stop in Tokyo to Las Vegas for the Super Bowl, walking through security along with friends Blake Lively, Ashley Avignone, Ice Spice and her mom, Andrea Swift. Before the game kicked off, Swift was spotted talking with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in the private box.
How much is Usher paid for the Super Bowl? ›
And he did it for pretty much for free. That's right, for free. That's because the Super Bowl performers don't really get paid by the NFL to perform. None of the performers that performed before and during the big game — Usher, Reba McEntire, Post Malone and Andra Day — took home a salary for the day's work.
Do people get paid to sing the national anthem at the Super Bowl? ›
But other than travel and production costs, all of the performers singing at the Super Bowl for free. Whether they see a boost in sales after the fact, well, that's up to the fans.
Alicia Keys joined Usher as a surprise guest during the 2024 Super Bowl halftime show. She sang her song “If I Ain't Got You” before joining Usher in their duet “My Boo.”
How much did Justin Timberlake get paid for the Super Bowl? ›
Do Super Bowl acts get paid? The NFL does not pay its halftime show performers, which have included chart-topping musicians and singers like Maroon 5, Justin Timberlake, Lady Gaga and Beyonce. Instead, the league covers production costs and other expenses related to the show, which often costs several million dollars.
Do artists pay to do Super Bowl halftime? ›
But other than travel and production costs, all of the performers singing at the Super Bowl for free. Whether they see a boost in sales after the fact, well, that's up to the fans.
How much is Usher getting paid to perform at the Super Bowl? ›
That's right, for free. That's because the Super Bowl performers don't really get paid by the NFL to perform. None of the performers that performed before and during the big game — Usher, Reba McEntire, Post Malone and Andra Day — took home a salary for the day's work.
How much do Super Bowl players get paid? ›
The latest collective bargaining agreement between the NFL Players Association and the NFL dictates that each member of the winning team will receive $164,000, a $7,000 bump over last year's total. Winners of the 2025 Super Bowl will receive $171,000.
How much did Dr. Dre get paid for the Super Bowl? ›
Dre Won't Be Paid For The Super Bowl Halftime Show — But Here's How It Could Pay Off Later. I'm an assistant editor at Forbes covering media and entertainment.
Do you have to pay to perform at the Super Bowl? ›
There is not an appearance fee, but the artists are indeed paid union scale,” Brian McCarthy, the NFL's vice president of communications, told Newsweek in 2022.
