The National Football League (NFL) in the United States holds an annual league championship game called the Super Bowl. Since 1966, it has taken the place of the NFL Championship Game as the last game of each NFL season.
The Super Bowl is one of the most watched sporting events on earth. Over 115 million people watched the 2023 Super Bowl, which saw the Kansas City Chiefs defeat the Philadelphia Eagles.
This made it the most-watched Super Bowl in history and the most-watched TV show in the country ever. The 2015 Super Bowl, which saw the New England Patriots defeat the Seattle Seahawks, was the second most-watched Super Bowl in history.
But there's more to the Super Bowl than just the game itself. In addition to the football game, fans watch commercials and several well-known musical performances; this year's performers provide many reasons to watch.
The first-ever Super Bowl to be held in Las Vegas, in 2024, will include performances by Usher, Reba McEntire, and other celebrities.
However, that’s not just it. Various questions always pan out in the minds of the fans regarding the pay for the performers in this mega event.
How much are half-time performers paid during the Super Bowl?
Over 100 million people watch the halftime show live around the world. The halftime show goes on for around 13 minutes.
AdvertisementIt's a gigantic mini-concert that adds a lot of fun to the game. Thus, one would assume that the NFL would be paying performers a huge salary.
The answer might shock you but that’s the truth. The performers aren’t paid a penny for their performances. An NFL representative told Forbes that they pay for overhead and manufacturing costs.
However, the NFL and Apple do pay for the sometimes-high cost of producing the Halftime Show. You ask, how much is it? The NFL reportedly spent $13 million on Jennifer Lopez and Shakira's halftime show.
Artists have a history of investing their funds to enhance the quality of their production; for example, The Weeknd and Dr. Dre each spent $7 million on their respective shows. To put it another way, some performers are, at least initially, technically losing money (upfront).
What is Usher's expected fee to perform during the Super Bowl halftime show in 2024?
As mentioned above, the performers don’t get paid for the NFL performances, it’s not just for the dancers. This rule applies to even the top singers and rappers who have sold millions of records of their own.
It turns out that Usher is getting paid exactly nothing for performing a free 13-minute concert for everyone.
The artists are paid a minimum wage guaranteed by a union contract, known as the "union scale," which is a small portion of the six- or seven-figure profit they typically make for a gig.
Once you hear that a superstar like Usher isn’t getting paid, you must be thinking why is he performing? Let’s get you the answers.
Why do artists agree to perform at halftime shows at the Super Bowl without any pay?
Because of the other benefits associated with the show, singers may not prioritize receiving payment for their Super Bowl performance.
Even for artists without anything to promote right now, the exposure alone helps propel album and tour sales.
Traditionally, the day following the big game, streams for performing artists soar.
As reported by Newsweek, Spotify reports that Shakira's stream count increased 230% following the 2020 Super Bowl halftime show, while Jennifer Lopez's discography saw a 335% increase.
AdvertisementAs reported by Billboard, Justin Timberlake's music sales increased by 534% following his 2018 show.
Like this, Bruno Mars' album sales for Unorthodox Jukebox increased by 92%, moving him up from number seven to number three on the Billboard Top 200, as reported by Forbes.
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