Did you guys know that the NFL is a tax-exempt non-profit? I’m sure some of you knew that, although in polls conducted earlier this year, most Americans do not realize that the NFL is tax-exempt, and that more often than not, individual teams and stadiums are the recipients of huge taxpayer-funded subsidies. NFL commissioners can rake in $30 million-plus compensations and the entire NFL is worth something like $9 billion or more – it’s growing so rapidly that many say it will be worth $27 billion in the next twelve years. All of it tax-exempt. You can read more about it here.
I bring up that issue because the NFL’s non-profit status means that they don’t come out and pay their Super Bowl Half-time acts directly. Instead, the sponsors pay the Halftime acts for the most part. When Beyonce did the Half-time show, I believe Pepsi paid her. So, the 2015 Halftime show is being organized now, which is around the time it usually happens. The NFL has allegedly approached Rihanna, Katy Perry and Coldplay about maybe doing it, according to the Wall Street Journal. Out of that group… Coldplay would be the least controversial and Rihanna would be the one most likely to flash her boobs, but I bet Katy would be the most offensive. Anyway, there’s an interesting wrinkle – this year, the NFL wants their musical act to PAY THE NFL for the honor of playing the Halftime show.
The NFL reportedly asked Katy Perry, Rihanna and Coldplay, their top choices to play the 2015 Super Bowl Halftime Show, if they would be willing to pay the league in order to secure one of the biggest gigs in the world, according to The Wall Street Journal.
When reaching out to artists, league representatives asked some acts if they would exchange a headlining slot for a portion of their post-Super Bowl tour earnings, or make another type of financial contribution to the NFL. Sources told the Journal that the suggestion, perhaps unsurprisingly, “got a chilly reception from the candidates’ representatives.”
While the NFL doesn’t typically pay artists who perform during the Super Bowl Halftime Show, they do tend to cover travel and production expenses, which can be upwards of a million dollars. Considering the Halftime Show has only grown more popular in recent years — this year’s performance with Bruno Mars and the Red Hot Chili Peppers drew 115.3 million viewers, compared to the 112.2 million who watched the game — it makes sense they’d want a piece of the pie.
The artists themselves do tend to capitalize on the exposure of such a performance as well: Beyoncé announced her “Mrs. Carter Show” world tour right after her performance in 2013, while tickets to Mars’ “Moonshine Jungle” tour went on sale the Monday after his Super Bowl set. But quantifying Super Bowl exposure, specifically in the form of ticket sales, is tricky, especially for established artists like Rihanna, Perry and Coldplay who have been grossing millions on the road for years.
No decisions have been made about this year’s Super Bowl Halftime performer, and as NFL spokeswoman Joanna Hunter noted, the league’s contracts with artists are confidential. Super Bowl XLIX will take place outside of Phoenix on February 1st, 2015.
How g—damn greedy of the NFL. It’s not enough that they make billions of tax-free income, enough to line their commissioners’ offices with $100 bills, but now they’re trying to force musical acts to pay them for the privilege? What a scam. If the NFL keeps insisting, I hope Coldplay, Rihanna and Katy Perry all shut them down.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Special thanks Cele Bitch
