One might think that artists performing at the Super Bowl halftime show would receive hefty compensation, but surprisingly, they don’t earn a direct paycheck for their performances.
Regardless of whether the performers are stars like Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar, or the current headliner, Bad Bunny, the NFL does not pay them directly for their halftime appearances.
This might seem unfair, but in this particular context, being paid in ‘exposure’ can be incredibly valuable.
As reported by NME, the league does take care of production and travel expenses. While performers like Bad Bunny won’t receive a paycheck, they also won’t have to cover the costs for what amounts to a massive live show in a stadium.
This is where Apple Music comes into the picture.
Sports business writer Joe Pompliano notes that Apple Music compensates the NFL approximately $50 million annually to sponsor the Super Bowl halftime show. Part of this arrangement involves a production budget of about $15 million for the artists, which is more substantial.
The budget for production covers elements like set design, dancers, security, marketing, and thousands of part-time workers, but it does not include a fee for the performing artist.
For Super Bowl halftime performers, it’s not solely about financial gain.
In the previous year, Lamar’s halftime performance drew an audience of 133.5 million viewers, setting a record for the most-watched halftime show.
Following the performance, his music experienced a surge in streaming numbers, and even before his halftime show, Bad Bunny observed similar trends.
According to Sudoku Bliss, searches for ‘Bad Bunny tour’ spiked by 1,567 percent in the 24 hours following his Grammy wins, as anticipation for his halftime show grew.
The same search term increased by 525 percent compared to the previous week.
Beyond just search inquiries, Bad Bunny gained more than 900,000 new Instagram followers since that night, raising his total to over 50.9 million.
It’s likely that his Super Bowl performance will further boost his following.
To further illustrate the value of a halftime performance, companies invest millions on Super Bowl commercials.
According to NBCUniversal’s head of global advertising, Mike Marshall, 30-second ads were sold for approximately $8 million, with some brands paying over $10 million.
Marketing expert Peter Koeppel shared with The Independent that even if a Super Bowl ad doesn’t provide immediate returns, the long-term benefits are significant.
“If a business can afford to create one of these standout ads, they gain exposure on an unparalleled scale,” he explained, emphasizing the importance of post-event discussions.
The same principle applies to halftime performers.
Instead of spending millions for a brief commercial, artists gain around 13 minutes in front of one of the world’s largest audiences.
It’s arguable that such exposure is invaluable.
Bad Bunny has been outspoken against President Donald Trump and his policies over the years, especially on topics like immigration and Puerto Rico. Let’s explore the origins…
In 2017, the federal government was criticized for its slow and disorganized response to Hurricane Maria, which caused extensive destruction, power outages, and numerous fatalities.
At a benefit concert, Bad Bunny wore a T-shirt that read ‘¿Eres Twittero o Presidente?’ translating to ‘Are You a Tweeter or President?’
Seven years later, he released the track ‘Una Velita’, which seemed to criticize the Trump administration’s handling of the disaster.
The translated lyrics state: “They let 5,000 people die / And we will never forget that.”
Leading to the 2024 US election, Bad Bunny expressed support for Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris.
The artist shared a clip of the vice president’s plans for Puerto Rico following comedian Tony Hinchcliffe’s derogatory remarks about the territory at a Trump rally.
A Trump campaign spokesperson later clarified: “This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign.”
In the music video for ‘NUEVAYoL’, released on the Fourth of July, Bad Bunny appeared to subtly criticize the US president.
Following a scene with a Puerto Rican flag on the Statue of Liberty, a voice resembling Trump’s can be heard saying: “I made a mistake. I want to apologise to the immigrants in America. I mean the United States – I know America is the whole continent.
“I want to say that this country is nothing without the immigrants. This country is nothing without Mexicans, Dominicans, Puerto Ricans, Colombians, Venezuelans, Cubans…”
Super Bowl LX.
Bay Area.
February 2026.#AppleMusicHalftime@NFL @AppleMusic @RocNation @SNFonNBC @nbc @peacock pic.twitter.com/XEWpAldrlS— Benito Antonio (@sanbenito) September 29, 2025
Bad Bunny decided to exclude the mainland US from his world tour due to concerns about ICE amid Trump’s return to office.
“There were many reasons why I didn’t perform in the US, and none stemmed from hate,” he shared with I-D magazine in September. “But there was a concern that ICE might be present [at my concert]. It was a topic of serious discussion.”
Just before the Super Bowl announcement, Bad Bunny tweeted in Spanish, suggesting he might perform one date in the United States.
In his statement, he emphasized the performance would be for ‘my people, my culture, and our history’.
Although fans and the NFL described it as a well-considered decision, there was backlash from critics opposed to a Spanish-speaking artist leading the nation’s biggest sporting event.
Some, forgetting that Puerto Rico is a US territory, labeled Bad Bunny ‘anti-American’. Petitions were started to replace him, and Turning Point USA, founded by Charlie Kirk, even proposed a rival halftime show.
Trump also commented on the global music star’s Super Bowl performance, telling Newsmax’s Greg Kelly: “I’ve never heard of him.
“I don’t know who he is… I don’t know why they’re doing it. It’s crazy. And then they blame it on some promoter they hired to pick up entertainment — I think it’s absolutely ridiculous.”
During his SNL monologue in October, Bad Bunny humorously addressed the conservative backlash regarding his halftime show.
“You might not know this, but I’m doing the Super Bowl halftime show and I’m very happy,” he stated. “I think everyone is happy about it – even Fox News.”
After a heartfelt message in Spanish, he switched back to English, telling viewers ‘if you didn’t understand what I just said, you have four months to learn’.
Bad Bunny says "ICE OUT" at the #Grammys and receives a massive standing ovation:
"We are not savage, we are not animals, we are not aliens, we are humans and we are Americans. The hate gets more powerful with more hate. The only thing that is more powerful than hate is love.… pic.twitter.com/IFzvguqdCR
— Variety (@Variety) February 2, 2026
In January, the POTUS confirmed he wouldn’t attend the Super Bowl, criticizing the performers.
“I’m anti-them. I think it’s a terrible choice. All it does is sow hatred. Terrible,” he remarked to the New York Post about Bad Bunny and Green Day, another critic of his.
However, Trump clarified that this wasn’t the reason for his absence, noting ‘it’s just too far away’.