Did you know that the NFL secures nearly $50 million in sponsorship money for the Super Bowl halftime show? Yet, contrary to popular perception, artists don’t receive a dime for performing. In fact, artists like Kendrick Lamar, who is set to headline this year’s show, will lose millions for his appearance. And while that might sound unfair and unusual, in reality, it’s not.
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The league allocates $15 million from the approximately $50 million in sponsorship money to artists for their set design, special effects, and production costs. In an ideal world, $15 million would be a hefty sum. But when you have visionary artists like the Weekend or Kendrick Lamar, there is a possibility that this money is not enough for a 20-minute set.
The Weekend, for instance, reportedly shelled out nearly $7 million from his pocket on elaborate conceptual stage designs for his Super Bowl LV performance. And, considering how immaculate Kendrick Lamar is with the way he curates his art, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the ‘Like That’ hitmaker invest additional funds for his performance too. So, why do artists go out of their way for the Super Bowl halftime show?
The answer is pretty simple—the Super Bowl is watched by a massive audience. For context, last year’s big event was the most-watched sports program in history, with a cumulative viewership of 123.4 million. If we rewind the clock a bit more, since 2010, the NFL’s magnum opus has consistently surpassed the 100 million viewership mark with ease.
In fact, the only TV program that has garnered more views than the Super Bowl in the US is the Apollo 11 Moon Landing in 1969 [150 million+ viewers]. Getting this many people tuned in for 20 minutes straight is every performance marketer’s dream.
From an artist’s perspective, there’s no better way to leave a lasting impression on 100 million+ viewers than by delivering a performance that embodies their discography. And if done successfully, their sales and streams will skyrocket.
Considering how hyped Kendrick Lamar is at the moment with his Grammy wins and “Not Like Us” trending worldwide, a stellar Super Bowl appearance would be the icing on the cake for the Compton-based rapper.
Kendrick Lamar now has 22 total Grammy awards in his career after “Not Like Us” sweeps the #Grammys winning all five categories it was nominated in.
SONG OF THE YEAR
RECORD OF THE YEAR
BEST RAP SONG
BEST RAP PERFORMANCE
BEST MUSIC VIDEO pic.twitter.com/3WZjFQzV73— XXL Magazine (@XXL) February 3, 2025
What’s truly interesting about the Super Bowl’s iconic halftime performances is that it was a creation out of spite.
Diving into the history of the Super Bowl halftime performances
Back in 1992, nearly 100 million people tuned in to watch the Super Bowl on CBS. But during the halftime break, the CBS feed featured nothing but Elvis impersonators and people flying around in jetpacks—a spectacle one could find at a neighborhood amusement park. Simply put, the audience had little to care about for those 20 minutes.
Cut to a year later, CBS stuck to its usual approach, but Fox pulled off a masterclass by airing a live episode of the star-studded sitcom In Living Color during halftime, featuring stars like Jim Carrey and Jamie Foxx. Hilariously, millions switched channels to CBS’s competition to catch the show. The NFL naturally was furious to see their viewership shift elsewhere.
Hence, in a bid to retain their audience, the NFL called up Michael Jackson to perform at Super Bowl XXVII. Jackson was at the zenith of his popularity back then and seeing a star like him perform live helped the league retain their audience.
The move was a massive success, and since then, the league has continued this tradition, with each year promising to be bigger and better than the last.
