The manufacturing surrounding the Tremendous Bowl halftime present can price hundreds of thousands of {dollars} and is arguably one of many largest performances of the 12 months for artists.
LAS VEGAS — Usher introduced a star-studded 13-minute spectacular to the Super Bowl halftime show stage on Sunday.
And he did it for just about for free.
That is proper, at no cost.
That is as a result of the Tremendous Bowl performers don’t really get paid by the NFL to perform. Not one of the performers that carried out earlier than and in the course of the large recreation — Usher, Reba McEntire, Put up Malone and Andra Day — took house a wage for the day’s work.
However regardless of not getting a paycheck for the efficiency, Usher and the opposite Tremendous Bowl performers can nonetheless make an enormous revenue from the sport. This is how:
How a lot do Tremendous Bowl halftime performers make?
Even with no verify from the NFL, performers can nonetheless get large publicity from their halftime present singing, which results in an uptick in music gross sales and streaming.
Final 12 months’s present featured Rihanna’s iconic performance whereas pregnant. She, like a long time of halftime artists earlier than her, noticed an enormous leap in music gross sales after the efficiency was watched by an estimated 115 million people — the most-watched tv occasion in U.S. historical past.
Based on data compiled by Forbes, Rihanna’s digital album gross sales climbed by 301%, whereas digital track gross sales surged by 390%.
The identical factor occurred in 2022, when 5 separate performers — Mary J. Blige, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar and Eminem — sang. All of them noticed a surge in music gross sales after their efficiency was watched dwell by an estimated 103.4 million people.
Snoop Dogg and Blige, who both released albums days before the Super Bowl, noticed the very best features, with streams of their music leaping to 143% and 132% from pre-game ranges respectively, in response to Billboard.
And that final half is the place the similarities to Usher actually start.
Usher additionally launched an album proper earlier than the Tremendous Bowl, probably hoping the huge viewership for his Feb. 11 set will translate to extra album gross sales.
“Coming Dwelling” is Usher’s first solo album in eight years. It dropped Friday, Feb. 9, simply two days earlier than the large recreation.
He is additionally planning a live performance tour throughout the U.S. to help the album.
How a lot does the Tremendous Bowl halftime present price?
Though they will not be placing up large cash for performer salaries, the NFL nonetheless has a hefty invoice paying for the bills of the halftime present manufacturing yearly.
Even for a set that normally lasts round quarter-hour, it is arguably some of the costly performances to televise. Each mild, firework or particular impact can add hundreds of {dollars} towards the ultimate invoice.
That ultimate tally can typically be within the hundreds of thousands of {dollars}. For instance, Esquire reports that the 2020 performance by Jennifer Lopez and Shakira price $13 million to placed on. Yahoo Finance calculated Lady Gaga’s 2017 set cost a pretty penny as well: over $10 million.
The Weeknd, who carried out in 2021, probably offset a few of his streaming income as a result of he reportedly dropped $7 million of his personal cash for the efficiency, and though the NFL has not confirmed the overall price ticket, Forbes estimates the present may have price as a lot as $20 million.
NFL vp of communications Brian McCarthy told Newsweek in 2022 that the league does not pay halftime performers an “look payment, however the artists are certainly paid union scale.” However Newsweek reported that underneath the union settlement that might’ve been about $1,000 a day for the Jennifer Lopez and Shakira Tremendous Bowl present.
Do different Tremendous Bowl performers receives a commission?
Even with out Usher, the lineup for the Tremendous Bowl was stacked with expertise.
Earlier than kickoff, Reba delivered a stirring efficiency of the nationwide anthem, Put up Malone carried out “America the Stunning” and Andra Day gave a strong rendition of “Carry Each Voice and Sing.”
The NFL coated journey bills for the artists, which is doubtlessly an necessary plus when Las Vegas’ private plane parking situation was expected to be completely packed.
However apart from journey and manufacturing prices, the entire performers sang on the Tremendous Bowl at no cost. Whether or not they see a lift in gross sales after the very fact, nicely, that is as much as the followers.
