Why Usher Won’t Get Paid For The Super Bowl Halftime Show

Forbes

The king of R&B will give a free 13-minute performance during the big game—and don’t bet on a duet with Taylor Swift—but the real payoff will come when he releases his new album that day.  It’s been 13 years since Usher descended from the sky to perform his hit “OMG” as a special guest during the Super Bowl XLV halftime show in Arlington, Texas—a two-minute routine that culminated with him leaping over will.i.am’s head and landing in a split. “Since that day, I think, I had it in my mind that I wanted to go back to the stage,” he said recently on Good Morning America.  Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/mattcraig/2024/02/04/why-usher-wont-get-paid-for-the-super-bowl-halftime-show/?sh=7d024891261c  Subscribe to FORBES: https://www.youtube.com/user/Forbes?sub_confirmation=1  Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more:  https://account.forbes.com/membership/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=growth_non-sub_paid_subscribe_ytdescript  Stay Connected Forbes newsletters: https://newsletters.editorial.forbes.com Forbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbes Forbes Video on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/forbes Forbes Video on Instagram: http://instagram.com/forbes More From Forbes:  http://forbes.com  Forbes covers the intersection of entrepreneurship, wealth, technology, business and lifestyle with a focus on people and success.

Transcript

00:00 It's been 13 years since Usher descended from the sky to perform his hit "OMG" during

00:05 the Super Bowl XLV halftime show in Arlington, Texas.

00:09 Now the 45-year-old R&B star will headline the Super Bowl LVL 58 halftime show in Las

00:15 Vegas.

00:16 The King of R&B found out he would be performing on a phone call from Jay-Z, whose Roc Nation

00:22 has served as the live music entertainment strategists for the NFL since 2019.

00:27 It's no surprise he was part of Roc Nation's selection process, whose halftime acts have

00:32 promoted diverse, current artists with some connection to the host city in which the game

00:37 is played.

00:39 Super Bowl LVL 58's location, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, is home to both of his

00:43 sold-out residencies, one in 2021 at Caesars Palace, followed by an even bigger show at

00:50 Park MGM.

00:52 Usher has become one of the most popular acts in Sin City over the past two years.

00:57 Usher's original 14-show run at Caesars grossed more than $12.9 million in ticket sales and,

01:04 as of last September, Billboard reported that the My Way residency had sold 290,000 tickets,

01:11 grossing $64 million across 59 shows.

01:15 While the NFL and Apple Music cover the cost of the production, which can stretch to more

01:20 than $10 million, some artists in recent years have chosen to invest their own money.

01:25 The Weeknd reportedly spent $7 million in 2021 to stage his performance, and Dr. Dre

01:31 spent the same amount the following year to ensure the show fit his vision.

01:35 However, no one, including Usher, is paid for their Super Bowl halftime performance.

01:41 But the arrangement pays off in other ways for Super Bowl talent.

01:45 Last year's game garnered 115 million viewers, according to Nielsen, making it one of the

01:49 most-watched telecasts in U.S. history.

01:53 The potential marketing value of a halftime performance is astronomical, considering the

01:58 going rate for a single 30-second commercial during this year's telecast is around $7 million.

02:04 Rihanna, last year's Super Bowl halftime performer, saw her digital song sales increase

02:09 by 390 percent, according to Luminate.

02:13 The billionaire pop singer also snuck in a mid-show plug for her Fendi beauty brand,

02:18 which led to more than $44 million in earned media.

02:21 Plus, she pulled off the most epic pregnancy announcement in recent pop culture history.

02:27 Similarly, Usher is using his Super Bowl performance to jumpstart a robust plan for 2024, beginning

02:34 with releasing a new album on the day of the game, Coming Home.

02:38 This is his ninth studio album and first since 2016.

02:43 He also has licensing agreements for a fragrance line and cognac brand, Remy Martin, which

02:48 could see meaningful sales bumps following the big game.

02:52 This year's Super Bowl has a unique marketing angle.

02:55 Taylor Swift's presence cheering on her boyfriend, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, has been enough

03:00 to convince health and beauty brands to buy valuable commercial time.

03:04 Dove, for instance, is doing its first Super Bowl commercial in 18 years, and Elf Cosmetics

03:10 is doing its first ever.

03:12 Usher has promised to walk fans through his 30-year music catalog.

03:16 He has hinted that he will be adapting elements of his Vegas residency show, perhaps even

03:21 the roller skating, into his performance.

03:24 And while performing for a crowd of 65,000 in an NFL stadium is drastically different

03:29 than 5,000 in a theater, Usher recently told Vogue that the show will feel like a personal

03:34 serenade to everyone watching.

03:36 "I'm literally speaking to every woman," he said.

03:39 "I want to make it feel like that."

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