The NFL’s biggest stage comes with massive exposure but minimal compensation for music’s top stars
When Bad Bunny takes the stage at Levi’s Stadium this Sunday for Super Bowl LX, millions of viewers worldwide will witness what promises to be a spectacular 15-minute performance. The Puerto Rican superstar follows in the footsteps of Kendrick Lamar’s acclaimed 2025 halftime show, stepping into one of entertainment’s most coveted spotlight moments. Yet despite the prestige and global platform, Bad Bunny will walk away from this gig with virtually no paycheck from the NFL—a reality that surprises many fans who assume such high-profile performances command astronomical fees.
The economics of the Super Bowl halftime show operate differently than almost any other entertainment industry arrangement. While Bad Bunny commands seven-figure guarantees for his concert tours and festival appearances, his Super Bowl appearance represents something entirely different: a strategic career investment rather than a traditional paid performance.
The NFL’s Unconventional Compensation Model
The National Football League maintains a long-standing policy of not paying headlining artists for halftime performances. According to a 2019 Forbes investigation, performers receive only a union scale payment—a standardized minimum wage that represents a tiny fraction of what these superstars typically earn. This policy has remained consistent for decades, spanning eras from Michael Jackson’s groundbreaking 1993 performance through contemporary shows featuring artists like Beyoncé, Rihanna, and now Bad Bunny.
The union scale payment amounts to a nominal fee that covers basic labor requirements but bears no resemblance to the multi-million-dollar performance fees these artists command in normal circumstances. For context, Bad Bunny’s typical concert appearance can generate well into six figures, making the Super Bowl compensation almost symbolic.
Production Costs and Financial Responsibilities
While the NFL doesn’t compensate performers directly, the league does assume responsibility for substantial production expenses. The halftime show represents one of television’s most elaborate live productions, featuring cutting-edge technology, pyrotechnics, elaborate staging, and coordinated performances involving hundreds of dancers and crew members.
When PepsiCo served as the halftime show sponsor before Apple Music assumed the role in 2023, Reuters estimated production costs around $13 million for a single performance. These expenses cover logistics, special effects, sound engineering, lighting design, and the massive infrastructure required to transform a football field into a concert venue within minutes.
However, artists frequently invest their own resources to elevate their performances beyond the NFL‘s baseline production. The Weeknd famously contributed $7 million from his personal funds for his 2021 halftime show, seeking to create what industry insiders described as a cinematic experience. His management confirmed the artist’s substantial financial commitment to realizing his creative vision, while the NFL covered standard travel and production fees.
This arrangement places some financial burden on performers who wish to deliver truly memorable shows, though the NFL handles most technical and logistical expenses.
The Real Currency: Exposure and Streaming Revenue
For artists like Bad Bunny, the Super Bowl halftime show represents something far more valuable than direct payment—unprecedented global exposure. With approximately 100 million American viewers and countless more watching internationally, the halftime show provides marketing opportunities that money simply cannot buy through conventional advertising.
The streaming impact following halftime performances demonstrates tangible financial benefits. According to Spotify’s head of label partnerships, Kendrick Lamar experienced a staggering 430 percent increase in streams following his 2025 performance. This surge translates directly into streaming revenue, album sales, merchandise opportunities, and heightened demand for concert tickets.
Music industry analysts note that fans typically rush to streaming platforms immediately after major live performances, with the Super Bowl halftime show generating particularly dramatic spikes each year. These streaming surges convert directly into increased revenue for artists and their teams, creating a financial windfall that often exceeds what a traditional performance fee might have provided.
Bad Bunny’s Strategic Opportunity
For Bad Bunny, whose music already dominates Latin music charts and crosses into mainstream success globally, the Super Bowl platform offers a chance to further solidify his position as a crossover phenomenon. His extensive discography will likely experience significant streaming increases across platforms, generating substantial revenue through royalties and reigniting interest in his catalog.
Beyond immediate financial gains, the performance enhances Bad Bunny’s cultural cachet and positions him for lucrative opportunities including brand partnerships, tour expansions, and elevated booking fees for future performances. The halftime show functions as both validation of an artist’s elite status and a launching pad for the next career phase.
The absence of direct NFL compensation becomes almost irrelevant when considering these broader financial and cultural dividends. Artists view the Super Bowl invitation as a career milestone worth pursuing regardless of the unconventional payment structure, recognizing that the platform’s value extends far beyond a single performance fee.
Source: Good Housekeeping
