Grok:

halftime show talent (performers/artists) does not pay the NFL. The opposite is true in terms of direct payments: the NFL does not pay the performers a traditional appearance fee or salary for the Super Bowl halftime show. Instead, the league covers all production costs (which can run into the millions, often $10–15 million or more for sets, effects, etc.), travel expenses, and other logistics for the artist and their entourage. Performers receive only a minimal union-mandated fee (through SAG-AFTRA or similar), often around $1,000 per day for rehearsals and the performance itself—essentially pocket change for major stars (e.g., reports cited figures like $671 for the main show plus ~$1,800 for prep in recent cases).

This has been the NFL’s longstanding policy for years, as confirmed by league spokespeople and various reports. The arrangement is viewed as a massive marketing opportunity for the artists, with exposure to 100+ million viewers often boosting album sales, streams, and tour tickets far more than any direct paycheck would. There was one reported instance around 2015 where the NFL reportedly asked some potential acts if they’d be willing to pay for the slot (via upfront fees or revenue shares from post-show tours), but that didn’t become standard practice, and current examples (including recent headliners like Bad Bunny, Kendrick Lamar, Usher, Rihanna, etc.) show no such payments from artists to the NFL. In short: artists perform for free (beyond union minimums), the NFL foots the big bills, and everyone benefits from the prestige and visibility.

Well it use to be the other way around- like the fact the NFL used to be a nonprofit