The Atlantic

Playing the Super Bowl Halftime Show: An Unpaid Internship?

Performers do it for the exposure, and, like the NFL, have an interest in keeping the attention away from money.
Source: Matthew Emmons / USA TODAY Sports

There are many ways in which the Super Bowl halftime show is quite different from an ordinary concert: It’s once a year, it’s wedged in the middle of the most-watched sports event in America, and the NFL picks who gets to perform. Another key difference is that, whether the audience knows it or not, the halftime performer doesn’t get paid.

“I'm sure they want to be compensated, but in terms of events here in America, the Super. From the huge audience—viewership each year —to the media coverage both before and after the Super Bowl, he says, there are major benefits for a performer.

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