According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, the NFL is asking their leading Superbowl XLIX Halftime show candidates to pay to play. Rihanna, Coldplay, and Katy Perry were “asked at least some of the acts if they would be willing to contribute a portion of their post-Super Bowl tour income to the league, or if they would make some other type of financial contribution, in exchange for the halftime gig.”
The halftime performance is one of the most watched moments in television, averaging a full 3 million more views than the game itself (115 million at halftime vs. 112.2 million for the game). While the spot is coveted, the requests to pay the NFL were apparently met with “chilly” responses from the artists and their representatives.
This year’s Superbowl will be held in Glendale, AZ. As of now, no final decisions have been made, and all contract negotiations are classified. Still, you have to imagine that this spells trouble for the league, if the can’t afford to compensate an artist for performing at the Superbowl.