Why Usher wasn't paid a single penny for his Super Bowl half-time show

Usher wasn’t paid a penny for his Super Bowl halftime show performance. Here’s why.

Super Bowl LVIII saw Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes’ Kansas City Chiefs dramatically edge past the San Francisco 49ers with a 25-22 victory in Las Vegas.

The victory sees Andy Reid’s side become the first back-to-back champions of the showpiece event since 2003/2004.

Meanwhile, the half-time show featured a hit-heavy performance from Usher, with cameos from the likes of will.i.am, Alicia Keys, Lil John and Ludacris.

The 45-year-old played the likes of ‘Caught Up, ‘Love In This Club’ and ‘Yeah’ as part of a 13-song medley, in a dynamic performance that featured help from acrobats and a brass band.

However, Usher won’t receive a penny for his troubles, despite the Super Bowl being one of the most lucrative events in all of sports.

In fact, as confirmed by an NFL spokesperson, no artist has ever been paid a salary for the Super Bowl.

"We do not pay the artists," the spokesperson told Forbes in 2016. "We cover expenses and production costs."

However, Usher, who previously appeared as the Black Eyed Peas special guest for the Super Bowl in 2011, will likely receive a major boost in album sales.

Usher did not receive a penny for his Super Bowl performance (Getty)

The musician's return to the NFL coincides with the release of his latest album Coming Home over the weekend, and with hundreds of millions tuning into the event, the exposure should help shift records.

Lady Gaga's album sales skyrocketed by 1000 per cent following her involvement in 2017, while Jennifer Lopez gained over two million new followers on social media after teaming up with Shakira - who had a 230 per cent spike in Spotify streams in 2020.

Meanwhile, Dr. Dre experienced a rise of 183 per cent in album sales after taking to the stage in 2022, and a 105 per cent hike when it came to on-demand streams.