Bad Bunny may have just delivered one of the most memorable Super Bowl halftime shows in recent memory, but he won’t be walking away with a sack of money one could argue he deserves.
That’s because Super Bowl halftime performers, irrespective of how big a name they are, don’t get paid for what is essentially a stadium show.
Any experienced artist will tell you of the old “exposure” trick, wherein someone wanting them to play has offered them the chance to get “great exposure”, instead of paying them money for their time and skill.
Usually it’s seen as being nothing short of a con – and not a subtle one – but in this instance, since the Super Bowl draws the eyes of millions and the attention of much of the world, I suppose there’s an argument to be made that “exposure” really is a thing.
As originally reported by NME, NFL covers all production and travel costs for whichever artist is performing the Super Bowl’s halftime show. This means that while Bad Bunny won’t necessarily be richer immediately after tonight’s successful performance, he also won’t be any poorer, despite the fact he put on a blockbuster show.
What’s more – as per sports business writer Joe Pompliano – Apple Music is said to pay the NFL around $50 million a year to sponsor the Super Bowl halftime show. Included in that deal is the artist’s budget of roughly $15 million when it comes to spending on production.
That money is for all things production-related, including set design and dancers, security, marketing, and thousands of part-time workers. A wage for the artist who is performing, however, is not included.
Again, the crux of the matter lies in the fact that not receiving a sum for the show itself can be weighed against the boost it gives to an artist’s career. Not only do they get the honor of delivering a show only entrusted to the world’s biggest, most successful performers, but they also tend to see a spike in record sales and sales of tour tickets.
Last year, for example, Kendrick Lamar’s halftime offering was watched by a staggering 133.5 million viewers (making it the most-watched halftime show in history).
In the days after 2025 Super Bowl, the rapper enjoyed a huge spike in his music across various streaming platforms.
Bad Bunny, it’s been reported, saw a similar result even before he took the stage for the Super Bowl halftime show this year. Data from Sudoku Bliss revealed that searches for ‘Bad Bunny tour’ jumped by 1,567 percent in the 24 hours following his Grammy wins last weekend as excitement around his upcoming Super Bowl show began to build.
Bad Bunny also gained more than 900,000 new Instagram followers after the Grammys. He now boasts more than 50.9 million.
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