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How Much Will The Weeknd Make For Super Bowl LV Halftime Show?

How Much Will The Weeknd Make For Super Bowl LV Halftime Show?

While many are tuning in for Sunday’s Super Bowl LV game to see the NFL’s two best teams square off, that’s not the only reason some folks are watching.

Somehow, more often than not, the halftime festivities find a way to steal the show.

This year, Canadian singer The Weeknd will be taking the stage around 8:00 to 8:30 p.m. eastern time, roughly 90 minutes after kickoff.

Although it is unclear which songs The Weeknd will ultimately play, most expect it to include some combination of classics like: Love Me Harder, Earned It, The Hills, Can’t Feel My Face, In the Night, Starboy and I Feel It Coming.

In light of the The Weeknd performing on Sunday, many have taken to wondering: how much do Super Bowl halftime performers make?

This week, Adrienne Westenfeld of Esquire aimed to answer that question. The answer? Nothing.

“The surprising truth is that halftime performers aren’t paid to perform at the Super Bowl,” she wrote.

“Per league policy, the NFL covers all costs related to the production of the halftime show, but the performers don’t take home a paycheck (although the NFL foots the bill for their travel expenses).

“The cost of production, even for just a thirteen-minute segment, can be sky high, with the 2020 performance by Jennifer Lopez and Shakira reportedly costing the NFL approximately $13 million. That figure finances the paychecks of up to 3,000 staffers involved in the production, as well as complicated technical elements of the performance, like a collapsible, 38-part stage, or the massive audio equipment rolled in on 18 carts.”

So what do the singers get out of it? Exposure.

“Performing on one of the world’s biggest, most televised stages (almost 100 million viewers tuned into last year’s game) can convert into real financial gain in the form of increased music sales,” Westenfeld continued.

“When Justin Timberlake performed in 2018, his music sales rose 534% that same day; as for Lady Gaga, sales of her digital catalog spiked 1000% following her 2017 performance.”

Clearly The Weeknd is counting on Sunday’s showing to raise his profile and increase interest in his future work. Will it? Time will tell.

In light of some of the tragic events of this past week, including one head coach’s son driving impaired and causing life-threatening injuries in a five-year-old child, hopefully the halftime show will be a beacon of positivity that can make people feel a little bit better about what’s going on in the world.

Related: LeBron James’ Super Special Tradition For Super Bowl LV

Charles Kruger

Charles Kruger has been credentialed to cover two Super Bowls, four NBA Finals, and one World Series. A 20-year veteran in the sports world, he has sources spanning the NBA, MLB, NFL, UFC and NASCAR. Currently residing in Los Angeles, Calif., he is Game 7's go-to source for rumors surrounding the Lakers, Clippers and Dodgers.

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