Bad Bunny, who won the top honor of album of the year at the 68th Grammy Awards, took the Super Bowl halftime show stage but did not receive a penny in appearance fees.
On the 8th (local time), U.S. outlet People reported that Bad Bunny prepared for months to stand on the stage of the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show, one of the biggest performances of his career, but did not receive payment for the performance.
Bad Bunny took the Super Bowl halftime show stage at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on that day. He earlier said, "The feeling I have goes beyond myself. It's for all the people who ran countless yards before me so I could score that touchdown. This is for my people, my culture and our history."
Bad Bunny won three awards at the Grammy Awards, including album of the year, making history as the first Spanish-language artist to do so. He brought millions of dollars in revenue to his home island through his 2025 Puerto Rico concert and a record-breaking tour, but as a halftime show headliner he did not receive appearance fees.
Traditionally, the NFL does not pay performance fees to Super Bowl halftime performers. Instead, artists enjoy the promotional effect of performing for 12 to 15 minutes on the Super Bowl halftime show, one of the most-watched TV programs of the year. For this reason, top artists such as Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar and Bad Bunny have performed at the Super Bowl halftime show.
The appearance fee from a Super Bowl performance is not necessarily a crucial factor for singers. There are many other benefits that come with the performance itself. Even artists who have no work to promote see sharp increases in album and tour sales just from appearing at the Super Bowl.
Historically, streaming numbers for famous artists tend to surge the day after the big game. After Shakira performed with Jennifer Lopez at the 2020 Super Bowl halftime show, her Spotify streams increased 230% and Lopez's album sales rose 335%. Billboard reported that Justin Timberlake's album sales increased 534% after his 2018 Super Bowl performance. Similarly, Forbes reported that Charlie X's album, which was released months later in November 2024, saw a 10,100% increase in sales after appearing in the 2025 Super Bowl halftime show.
A halftime show performance can also lead to Emmy nominations and wins in major categories. The Super Bowl halftime show featuring Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and 50 Cent won three Emmys for outstanding variety special (live), outstanding variety special production design and outstanding music direction.
Lamar won his second Emmy in the music director category for his solo headlining performance at the 2025 Super Bowl. Meanwhile, Rihanna and Perry each took home two trophies for their 2023 and 2015 Super Bowl performances, respectively. Other Super Bowl performers honored by the Television Academy include Lady Gaga, Shakira and Jennifer Lopez.
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