How much money are Super Bowl halftime show performers paid?
Let’s Dance.
The Super Bowl is the biggest sporting event on the American calendar. And right in the middle is perhaps the biggest concert of the year, which promises to captivate the nation’s senses for a brief 30-minute period.
Of course we’re talking about the Super Bowl halftime show. Some of the biggest names in music history took the stage during the big game, from Michael Jackson to Beyonce.
It’s a showcase that almost always pays off. Just not in the way you think.
MORE: Watch Super Bowl 57 Live With fuboTV (Free Trial)
So do the cast of the Super Bowl halftime show get paid? And if so, how much do they walk away with? The Sporting News fills you in on how much dough artists are bringing home after strutting their stuff under the bright lights.
How Much Money Do Super Bowl Halftime Show Performers Get?
The simple answer is Nothing. Super Bowl artists don’t get paid a penny for their heroic deeds.
That doesn’t mean the NFL is leaving these musicians stranded without a paddle. The league pays for the theaters. That is, the puff of smoke you see Rihanna wrapped in as she comes on stage? The NFL writes that check. The stable stage frame full of shimmering strobe lights? That, too, is handled by the League’s accountants. Often, the Hollywood-level cinematography required for a Class A performance can bring millions of dollars to the NFL.
Well, not paying workers for their work is objectively not cool. But there’s a real benefit to appearing in the Super Bowl, one that can make the “free” production worthwhile.
You see, Super Bowl halftime performers generally experience a surge in their streaming numbers after their show.
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It’s more flood than puddle, at least strictly speaking. Fans flock to the Super Bowl artists’ catalog like moths to a flame. The numbers are staggering: Maroon 5 sales skyrocketed 434 percent on the day of their halftime show in 2019, according to Billboard. Justin Timberlake experienced a similar surge, increasing album sales by 534 percent after his 2018 showcase. It was reported that Lady Gaga saw her numbers increase by 1,000 percent after rocking the house at Super Bowl 51 in 2017.
All of this means that performing at the Super Bowl can help introduce (or re-introduce) artists to a wider audience. The fact that over 100 million people will be tuning in to the celebrations certainly doesn’t hurt either.
So when RiRi takes the stage at Super Bowl 57, just know that one way or another, she’s going to make a lot of it.