Why Super Bowl Performers Are Not Paid Enough?
A lot of singers and dancers want to perform at the Super Bowl halftime show.
In previous years, this honor went to artists such as Madonna, Beyoncé, Shakira, Jennifer Lopez, Lady Gaga, Prince, Justin Timberlake …
All of these musicians have built impressive international careers in the music industry.
You've surely read reports in the media claiming that Super Bowl artists don't get paid at all, but this isn't accurate.
They get paid for their performance even if they do not earn a large fee as they do on tours and concerts in major worldwide cities.
As a result, the question arises: how much do celebrities make for performing at one of the world's most-watched sports events?
According to Newsweek, NFL Vice President of Communications Brian McCarthy said the organization covers all performance costs and pays the artists according to the union's expected scale, but there is no additional performance fee.
The NFL must pay the minimum amount to the contractors
The union dictates this scale, which is the minimal amount that an organization must pay to contractors.
The fee is determined by SAG-AFTRA (Guild of Film Actors), ie the American Workers' Union, which, in addition to film and television actors, also represents dancers and singers.
As a result, the union receives the fees and distributes them to the contractors.
From June 2021, the contractor must be paid at least $1,030 per day under the contract.
The NFL pays the Super Bowl halftime stars both travel and several other expenses, but the honorarium they receive still largely doesn’t cover the millions of dollars the singers and their production houses invest in the performance.
The Weeknd put his seven million dollars into the show.
Even when the pandemic began, when the set was not as luxurious as in previous years, the Weeknd's management stated that they had committed $ 7 million of their own money to perform in 2021, with a budget provided by the NFL.
They spent a lot of money because they wanted the performance to be as good as possible.
Why are the singers so excited to perform in the Super Bowl halftime show if it isn't financially feasible?
When it comes to major stars, the royalties they lose from the NFL are repaid differently once their performance is broadcast across the world.
Huge popularity after appearing at the Super Bowl
For example, following Lady Gaga's 2017 performance, her album Joanne debuted in second place on the Billboard charts, rising 60 spots in just four months. The number of people looking for tickets to her tours increased by 10,000 percent.
After their appearance at halftime in 2019, Maroon 5 increased their average earnings per city on tour from $ 200,000 to $ 1.7 million.
These aren't the only celebrities that have risen in fame as a result of their appearance at the Super Bowl. Every performer has experienced it.
Some of the previous year's dancers performed for free.
The situation is slightly different for dancers. They must be paid between $788 and $1,030 each day, depending on the number of people at the dancing spot, according to the union contract.
Because the Super Bowl production normally involves a large number of dancers, they are likely to be paid less, with rehearsals costing $ 607 per day.
Professional dancers, generally around a hundred, are typically supported on stage by unpaid dancers who consider themselves volunteers.
