It is Bad Bunny’s time. Fresh off winning Album of the Year at the Grammys and delivering a powerful message to the Trump administration, the singer is set to be the featured act at halftime of Super Bowl LX. With that responsibility often comes a big payday. Right? Actually, not so much.
Bad Bunny is not scheduled to be paid a dime by the NFL to perform at the Super Bowl, and that is not unusual. As Cosmopolitan noted, the 13-minute performance is essentially a free concert for fans and a commercial for the headliner’s discography by the NFL.
“We do not pay the artists,” an NFL spokesperson told Forbes back in 2016. “We cover expenses and production costs.”
Cosmopolitan explained that Apple Music has been the sponsor for the past few halftime shows. They partner with the NFL to cover the costs of the performance, such as the stage and the artists’ outfits. While the NFL does not pay the performers directly, it remains unclear if sponsors like Apple Music provide any compensation to the artists. So, it is possible Bad Bunny could still receive a payment for the big game.
Even if he does not get paid directly from Apple Music or the NFL, the halftime show can still significantly boost his streaming numbers. For example, Kendrick Lamar saw a 430 percent increase in Spotify streams after his performance last year, which likely translated into more revenue.
“After a major live show, many fans head straight to Spotify,” Monica Herrera Damashek, head of label partnerships at Spotify, told Cosmopolitan. “This surge in streaming translates directly into increased revenue for artists and their teams. While each artist has their own agreement with rights holders—details that Spotify isn’t directly involved in—we do see the impact in our payouts. These cultural moments consistently drive significant boosts in both streams and earnings.”
In short, while Bad Bunny may not receive a direct paycheck for his Super Bowl halftime performance, the exposure and subsequent boost in streaming could prove to be highly rewarding.
https://www.pennlive.com/entertainment/2026/02/bad-bunnys-super-bowl-lx-halftime-show-his-pay-for-the-big-game-might-shock-you.html
