Usher performed in front of the biggest television audience ever Sunday night (February 11), but he only made $671 USD for his performance.
The R&B star dazzled viewers with a 13-minute show featuring his biggest hits and guest appearances by Alicia Keys, Lil Jon, Ludacris and more. However, despite 123 million people tuning in, Usher was paid next to nothing.
According to the NFL, the league only covers expensive production costs for the show, but it does not pay the main act.
Because the halftime show is such a big draw for the artist, the deal uses the potential exposure, which helps sell albums (Usher just released his ninth album, Coming Home, on February 9), concert tickets (tickets for his Past Present Future Tour went on sale this week) and boost streaming numbers (his performance gave him a 550% boost on Spotify). Not to mention all of the endorsements he received from companies advertising leading up to and during the game (i.e. Apple Music, Uber Eats).
This means all of the money comes from the back end for the artists. Daily Loud projects Usher's future takings from his halftime show to reach up to $100 million, based on the year ahead he has planned.
Super bowl doesn't pay the participating singers as it's an advertising platform for those singers to showcase their talent. Music cannot be bigger than the sport.
— Himanshu Pareek (@Sports_Himanshu) February 13, 2024