While both performers can be found on Forbes‘ list of the top 10 highest-paid women in music, you might be surprised to learn how much Jennifer Lopez and Shakira get paid for the Super Bowl halftime performances. While Lopez has previously pulled in millions from touring, she and Shakira will make exactly $0 when they perform at one of television’s most-watched live entertainment events. Yes, that’s right, although they will perform for one of television’s biggest audiences, neither performer will earn a direct paycheck for her work.
To be fair, Lopez and Shakira are neither the first nor the last Super Bowl performers to walk away without a paycheck. Maroon 5 wasn’t paid last year when they performed at the Super Bowl 53 Halftime Show. In 2016, Beyonce’s epic performance at the Super Bowl 50 Halftime Show earned her not one single dollar from the National Football League (NFL). So why don’t Super Bowl performers get paid?
In 2019, Forbes described the Super Bowl halftime show as “a massive commercial in front of over 100 million people.” Meaning that although artists don’t get paid by the NFL to perform, they’re essentially given a starring role in front of a massive audience without having to cover any of the associated high costs. In essence, they’re working for exposure (much like that unpaid college internship you worked).
