How much is Bad Bunny getting paid for Super Bowl halftime show performance?

With Super Bowl LX just days away, the world is buzzing about Bad Bunny taking center stage at Levi’s Stadium.

Between the setlist rumors and the high-profile commercials, fans have one burning question: exactly how much is the NFL paying the global superstar for the biggest 13 minutes in music?

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The answer, while shocking to many, is a long-standing tradition in the sports and entertainment world.

The short answer? $0.00.

If you’re looking for a multi-million dollar appearance fee, you won’t find it here. Despite his status as one of the most-streamed artists on the planet, Bad Bunny is not being paid a performance fee by the NFL to headline the 2026 halftime show.

Under the league’s standard policy, performers do not receive a traditional salary.

Instead, the NFL (along with partners like Apple Music and Roc Nation) covers the massive production costs, which can range anywhere from $10 million to $20 million.

Costs include everything from the elaborate stage design and pyrotechnics to the travel and lodging for the artist’s entourage.

While there is no paycheck in the traditional sense, artists do receive a nominal fee required by union regulations (SAG-AFTRA). To put that in perspective, Usher reportedly received about $671 for his performance in 2024 and roughly $1,800 for rehearsal time.

Bad Bunny is expected to receive a similar union scale payment, which effectively amounts to pocket change for a star of his magnitude.

So then why do it?

If the pay is nonexistent, why do the biggest names in music, from Rihanna to Prince, agree to the gig? The answer is simple: Exposure.

The Super Bowl is the ultimate marketing platform. For Bad Bunny, the 13-minute set is essentially a global commercial for his brand, his music, and his upcoming tours.

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Past examples show just how lucrative this “free” gig can be.

In 2020, co-headliners Shakira and Jennifer Lopez saw their song streams skyrocket by 230% and 335%, respectively, in the days following their performance.

The trend only intensified in later years; Usher’s 2024 set led to a staggering 2,000% spike on Spotify for his opening track, “Caught Up,” while Kendrick Lamar’s 2025 appearance caused his overall U.S. streams to jump 175% within just hours of the final whistle.

For El Conejo Malo, the goal isn’t a check from Roger Goodell; it’s the millions of new listeners and the inevitable sell-out of his next stadium tour.

The NFL’s stance on not paying performers is so firm that they’ve even flirted with the idea of making artists pay them for the privilege.

In 2015, the league reportedly asked potential acts like Katy Perry if they would be willing to contribute a portion of their post-Super Bowl tour earnings to the NFL.

While that idea was largely scrapped due to artist pushback, it highlights just how valuable that 13-minute window is considered to be.

Some artists even put their own skin in the game.

The Weeknd (2021) and Dr. Dre (2022) reportedly spent millions of their own money to ensure their creative visions were fully realized, proving that at the Super Bowl, the prestige is worth more than the payroll.

Ultimately, for an artist like Bad Bunny, the Super Bowl isn’t a payday, it’s an investment.

While he won’t be depositing an NFL check into his bank account this February, the “Benito Effect” is virtually guaranteed to pay dividends through record-breaking streaming royalties, global merchandise sales, and a likely surge in demand for his next world tour.

As he prepares to take the stage at Levi’s Stadium, the Puerto Rican superstar is playing for something much larger than a performance fee.

By commanding the world’s most-watched stage in his own language and on his own terms, Bad Bunny is proving that in the modern music industry, cultural capital is the most valuable currency of all.

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