Nope. Usher didn’t get paid for his stellar Super Bowl Halftime Show performance, no matter how good it was.
Stars who perform the Super Bowl Halftime Show are usually given a budget with which to stage the show so they aren’t coming out of pocket, but they also don’t get a check at the end of the night (or up front) as they would for a normal concert.
So, why do they do it? Because, simply put, it’s an opportunity to get their faces and work in front of the biggest television audience in pop culture today. For instance, going into this show, some fans were actively questioning whether Usher was someone who should be doing the Super Bowl, wondering if he was “big enough” for TV’s biggest moment.
Now, after the performance, not only have those skeptics largely been converted, but many of them will also be checking out Usher’s catalog, or checking for him in the future. To paraphrase Shaq: They weren’t familiar with his game, but they are now.
In the past, stars have seen enormous streaming increases as curious viewers do their research, including Dr. Dre, Rihanna, and even Spongebob Squarepants. So, even if Usher didn’t get paid, it’s still extremely worth it, as those streaming bumps can result in big payouts when those royalty checks roll in. The Super Bowl is one time that getting paid in exposure is worth just as much as a check.
Check out more of our Super Bowl coverage here.