Debuting in 1967, the inaugural Super Bowl halftime show was intended to fill idle time for fans stuck in line for a hot dog or the bathroom.
Since that first performance by the University of Arizona Symphonic Marching Band, artists from Prince to Beyoncé and Paul McCartney to The Who have graced the stage.
This year, Usher will be MVP of Super Bowl 58, performing to an estimated broadcast audience of 113 million in the biggest televised moment of his career.
The segment is being billed as a celebration of the R&B hitmaker’s back catalogue, designed with millennials in mind. Expect hits like “Yeah!,” “You Make Me Wanna … ” and spawner of internet memes, “Confessions Part II.”
But Usher has a tough act to follow.
In 2023, Rihanna’s Super Bowl performance (her first show in five years) was named the most-watched halftime show of all time by Nielsen, with 130 million viewers tuning in. Suspended on a floating platform, sporting an electric red Loewe jumpsuit, the “Umbrella” singer packed in 13 minutes of bangers, a pregnancy announcement and even a nod to her own brand, Fenty Beauty.
Artists famously don’t get paid for their performance at the show. However, they’re compensated in other ways. For musicians and their labels, the Super Bowl halftime spot is the hottest ticket in town, with the potential for more clout and cash than a $7 million first-half spot can generate.
A touchdown for music and sport
In the hour after the 2023 Big Game ended, Rihanna’s U.S. Spotify streams received a 640% boost. This uptick ultimately leads to increased chart positions, a broader playlist presence and, most importantly, royalty revenues.
“In a digital age where streaming dominates almost 90% of music revenue, the exposure from the Super Bowl serves as an explosive revenue catalyst even without a paycheck from the NFL,” explained Matt Ryan, music analyst and founder of independent record label Wood Records.
He added: “It’s yet another example of the current convergence we are seeing between music, media and sports.”
Rihanna’s mid-song makeup touch-up also earned Fenty $5.6 million in media impact value within the first 12 hours, per measurement firm Launchmetrics.
For Usher’s part, he’ll be promoting an impending new album, “Coming Home,” and a world tour.
Behind the scenes
Emulating how it worked with Rihanna, Apple Music—which took over the halftime show sponsorship reins from Pepsi in 2023—has been working closely with Usher’s team to promote the headliner.
The run-up to the show has already unveiled several star-studded ads featuring Kim Kardashian and LeBron James. Apple Music has also curated content and playlists around Usher’s preparation for the show, based on the idea that this moment has been “30 years in the making.”
“Apple’s DNA is in music; it’s distributing and promoting artist content every day from a streaming perspective. It also has the ability to connect 360 degrees across all facets of music and culture, so it’s a great partner for the Super Bowl,” observed Toni Wallace, who heads up global music brand partnerships at talent agency UTA for clients including Bad Bunny and Post Malone.
Indeed, data from sports intelligence platform Relo Metrics found Fox’s live TV broadcast of the 2023 Super Bowl halftime show gained $21.5 million in sponsor media value (SMV) for Apple Music. This was a 0.3% year-over-year increase from NBC’s live broadcast in 2022, when Pepsi generated $21.4 million of SMV from the halftime show.
Jay Prasad, CEO at Relo Metrics, said: “The biggest incremental gain in value for the brand is likely to have come from the huge social impact of the game, along with Apple’s integrations across its billions of devices and its entertainment applications for music and TV.”
The 2024 show will mark the fifth year Jay-Z’s entertainment business Roc Nation has collaborated with the NFL as its partner across live music entertainment strategy. The deal is designed to nurture and strengthen community through music and is part of the NFL’s wider “Inspire Change” initiative.
Beyond the halftime show, Wallace is seeing more artists activate in and around sports, whether they are appearing in halftime spots, performing at Super Bowl fringe events or otherwise. She wants to see more brands fostering long-term relationships with artists and pinning them around these big cultural moments.
“It’s not ‘one and done’ with this type of talent,” she said. “Artists know their fans best, and they can come up with their own amazing ideas. Make sure you give them a seat at the table from the start.”
This story first appeared in the Jan. 30, 2024, issue of Adweek magazine. Click here to subscribe.
