The Super Bowl stands as one of the grandest stages in the world, with its halftime spectacles bound to be memorable. And this time around, Usher had the opportunity to perform in front of thousands in the stadium and millions throughout the globe. Naturally, since it’s a pretty big deal, people assumed the singer cashed in a huge amount of money in return for his performance, which also featured a special guest, Alicia Keys. However, reports claim the singer only received $671.
How Much Did Usher Really Earn from His Super Bowl Performance?
Usher mesmerized the audience for 13 minutes straight with his performance with Alicia Keys during the Super Bowl halftime concert. Despite people believing this might be one of the biggest paychecks he would ever receive, the NFL paid him a mere $671. However, there’s a catch.
Given the Super Bowl’s colossal reach as one of the world’s largest platforms, it serves as a prime opportunity for artists to showcase their entire body of work. This exposure often translates to substantial gains in streaming sales.
And thus, reports claim, Usher could potentially reap over $100 million from streaming alone, considering it’s essentially free advertising for the artist. Nevertheless, an NFL spokesperson also confirmed to Forbes once,
“We do not pay the artists. We cover expenses and production costs.”
And Usher will indeed see a boom in his streaming records, as evidently seen in the past when Shakira and J.Lo saw 16,000 digital downloads post-performance, up from 1,000 the day prior. Lady Gaga’s sales surged 1,000% after her 2017 show. Forbes also reported Dr. Dre’s album sales rose 183% in 2022, while Mary J. Blige’s spiked 999%. This year, the viewership averaged, 123.4 million according to NFL and thus, Usher too will be a gainer at the end of the day.
How Much Does the NFL Spend on These Performances?
The allure of performing at the Super Bowl halftime show is undeniable, despite its modest pay. According to Forbes, artists receive just $1,000 a day, far below what they might earn elsewhere. However, this hasn’t deterred numerous big names from gracing the stage in the past. While the exact payments to artists remain undisclosed, the NFL spares no expense on their performances, shelling out millions per minute.
Jennifer Lopez and Shakira’s performance commanded a staggering $1 million each per minute for their 13-minute performance, while Lady Gaga’s show cost the NFL a whopping $10 million. Despite the modest compensation, as established before the halftime show offers unparalleled exposure to over 100 million viewers, essentially serving as a free commercial for the headlining acts. And not only just for their music, since Rihanna’s touch-up with Fenty makeup mid-performance sparked an 883 percent surge in Google searches for Fenty Beauty and generated $88.3 million in media impact value in the following 12 hours, as per Forbes Australia.
It’s this massive audience reach that entices artists to participate wholeheartedly, recognizing it as a powerful promotional platform for upcoming tours and music releases, and whatnot.
