Bad Bunny did not receive a million dollar fee to perform at the Super Bowl LX halftime show this Sunday (8). Like other artists who have taken the stage at the biggest sporting event in the USA, the Puerto Rican singer will only be paid at “union value” — around US$1,000 per day of work. The cost of the show itself is covered by the NFL.
The bill for artists ends on another line: exposure. The NFL playoff halftime show is now considered the most valuable stage in live entertainment. “When you have the chance to stand on a stage and reach 250 million people at once, not counting social media, streaming and reruns, it’s one of the most important spaces in live entertainment,” Jon Barker, NFL senior vice president and global head of major events, told the website The Athletic.
The numbers help explain the appetite. Rihanna’s 2023 concert, for example, drew a record 121 million viewers. She used the performance to promote her makeup line, Fenty Beauty, by touching up her own face mid-performance. According to Launchmetrics, the action generated US$5.6 million in “spontaneous media” in the first 12 hours after the game.
Opportunity with security!
Other artists who performed at halftime — such as Shakira, Justin Timberlake and Bruno Mars — also recorded significant increases in streams and sales after participating in the event. The Super Bowl’s global showcase, combined with buzz across networks and music services, often translates into long-term indirect gains for artists’ brands.
Bad Bunny seems to rely on the same logic. Even receiving a symbolic fee, the singer enters a stage capable of further projecting his image on a global scale — and, potentially, boosting streaming, tours, commercial partnerships and spin-off businesses after the final whistle.
