How Much Are Super Bowl Halftime Performers Paid?

Super Bowl halftime shows tend to be extravagant events that feature the biggest musical acts on the planet — Kendrick Lamar, Beyoncé, Eminem, Rihanna, Michael Jackson, Katy Perry, to name a few past participants. Meanwhile, the Super Bowl 60 halftime show features Bad Bunny and Green Day. Given the A-list profiles of these acts, it's easy to assume that they get paid a hefty chunk of change, but that isn't the case. In fact, they don't really get paid for performing at the biggest football game of the year — but the NFL fronts the bill for other costs.

"We do not pay the artists," NFL spokesperson Joanna Hunter revealed in 2016 (per Forbes). "We cover expenses and production costs."

Still, it isn't as simple as giving the artists zilch and covering the costs of their stage shows and expenses. The performers get paid union-mandated rates, which don't exactly add more millions to their bank accounts. For example, Usher reportedly earned $671 for his headline performance at the record-setting Super Bowl 58, with a further $1800 paid out for rehearsals. With that in mind, what do these artists actually stand to gain from performing if money isn't the main factor?

Super Bowl halftime performers can still financially benefit from the exposure gained from the event. After all, the big game is watched by millions of viewers all around the world, making it a great platform for promoting one's music to a widespread audience. It's viewed as a productive way to introduce artists to a whole army of new fans, many of whom will buy their music and bump it on streaming services afterward.

"After a major live show, many fans head straight to Spotify. The same is true for the Super Bowl halftime show each year," Monica Herrera Damashek, a Spotify executive, told Cosmopolitan. "This surge in streaming translates directly into increased revenue for artists and their teams. While each artist has their own agreement with rights holders — details that Spotify isn't directly involved in — we do see the impact in our payouts. These cultural moments consistently drive significant boosts in both streams and earnings."

The article also notes that Kendrick Lamar's streaming numbers on Spotify went up 430% after his performance at the 2025 Super Bowl, while Usher's were boosted by 550% following his own. It's going to be fun to see how much Bad Bunny and Green Day's streaming numbers increase after this year's game!