Why Usher and Other Super Bowl Halftime Stars Don’t Get Paid

Usher, an eight-time Grammy winner, will perform in the halftime show of Super Bowl 2024, one of the most prestigious stages in the world. However, he will not receive one of the highest paychecks in the world. In fact, he will earn less than the cost of a ticket — if he gets paid at all.

What is the payment for Super Bowl halftime show performers?

Usher will not make any money from his performance on Sunday, except for union scale, a minimum amount guaranteed by a union contract, as reported by various sources. Based on the latest contract of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists union, that would be around $1,000 a day, according to People Magazine.

What is the reason for the NFL not paying Super Bowl halftime performers?

The NFL has a consistent policy of only paying union scale for halftime performers, who have included Beyoncé, Rihanna, Prince, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney in the past. The NFL has never paid performers, and even tried to charge them for the opportunity to perform in front of a huge Super Bowl audience. The NFL asked Rihanna, Cold Play and Katy Perry to pay fees to perform in 2015, but they refused.

Perry agreed to perform, but not to pay for it, saying to Forbes: "I want to be able to say I played the Super Bowl based on my talents and my merit, thank you very much."Why do Super Bowl halftime performers agree to do the show for free?

Why would musicians who usually make six or seven figures per show agree to perform for free or for a very low amount? One reason is that they get to display their music to more than 100 million people without paying for any of the expenses, as the NFL covers travel and production costs. And those can be expensive. The NFL spent about $13 million to cover the costs of Jennifer Lopez and Shakira’s halftime show in 2020.

For Usher, his performance on Sunday, which will last 12 minutes, will help him promote his new album and his upcoming world tour, and it will also be a special moment for him.

“It’s gonna be a celebration. I’m gonna try my hardest not to cry, break down and cry on the stage,” he told CBS Mornings’ Gayle King.