With the Super Bowl starting in a few hours, everyone is gearing up for quite a few things: a Taylor Swift appearance, potential PDA between her and Travis Kelce, the A-list-clad commercials, and yes, the halftime show. This year, we have Usher, and before he was announced as the headliner, there was speculation that many other singers would headline; with almost all declining. The consistent declines made fans wonder, “Why would you turn down one of the biggest stages?” Well, simply put, there’s no pay involved.
In details resurfaced by the Mirror, none of the halftime headliners get paid for their performance, and instead, only have the expense and production costs covered by the NFL. Back in 2016, NFL spokesperson Joanna Hunter said to Forbes, “We do not pay the artists. We cover expenses and production costs.”
Apparently, the expenses can get up to $13 million. So it’s a big expense to cover, but no pay may be the reason why so many artists have declined to perform.
Over the years, many have given reasons why they wouldn’t perform at the Super Bowl, such as their music not lining up with the dance theme, how it’s become less about music, etc. But we’re sure the no pay doesn’t help with a “yes” from them.
So why have some said yes? Well, the same outlet reported that many artists use the show to promote their tours, music, and more, with many past artists seeing an uptick in sales after they performed. Will we see that again with Usher? Potentially!
But knowing what we know now, it adds another layer to the whole controversial show.
Before you go, click here to see every Super Bowl halftime performer since 1993.
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