Beyoncé, Bruno Mars and Coldplay killed it at the Super Bowl Halftime show yesterday, making us all wonder how much they got paid for the show. The short answer? Nothing.
It’s pretty widely known that artists aren’t actually compensated for halftime shows, but that doesn’t mean they don’t get paid in other ways. Considered to be one of the biggest musical platforms in the world, the concert is just as big of a draw as the actual game. This year an average 111.9 million people tuned in to watch the Super Bowl (last year saw a record high with 114.4 million), making the esteemed halftime gig a pretty good commercial for whoever takes the stage. Therefore, it was no coincidence that Beyoncé kicked off her performance by debuting her new single and immediately following the show, announced her upcoming tour. Coldplay also announced a new tour last month (including a return show to Levi’s Stadium in September), which will undoubtedly drive up ticket sales.
According to CNN, after Bruno Mars performed in 2014 at the football game, sales for his record Unorthodox Jukebox rose by 164 percent even though it was released two years prior. It was reported that prices for his concert tickets increased as a result as well, generating an average price of $500. Additionally, when Beyoncé played in 2013, her album at the time saw a 123 percent spike in sales.
While the NFL doesn’t pay the artists, they do cover all performance expenses—according to Forbes, when Beyoncé took over the halftime gig in 2013, it probably cost the NFL $600,000. The organization has reportedly even asked some artists to pay them for the esteemed gig, like last year when they allegedly asked Katy Perry, though so far no one has taken the bait. Considering companies are paying up to $5 million for a 30-second commercial during the Super Bowl, it seems like the NFL can handle the halftime costs for the symbiotic relationship present between football and music.
