Holder of a Master's degree from the Sorbonne, specializing in issues relating to Latin America,
Mathieu Sauvajot
first wrote articles dealing with the geopolitics and economy of this continent, before turning to the field of sport.
To discover
FILE - The Sports Business Observatory
From Michael Jackson to Prince, including Rihanna and Beyonce for the youngest, almost all the greatest artists have one day had the privilege of being able to steal the spotlight from athletes, thanks to the famous
halftime show
of the Super Bowl, this show broadcast live during halftime.
The 2024 edition will not be an exception, because Usher will be there to perpetuate the tradition.
However, like his predecessors, the American singer will not be paid by the NFL.
The budget is nevertheless substantial, in 2022 the League signed an agreement worth 50 million dollars per year with Apple (almost as much as the sum of bets last year), making the tech giant the official partner of the
halftime show
until 'in 2027.
The artists do benefit from a budget of 15 million dollars, but this is only intended to cover the production costs of the show: sets, dancers, technicians and much more, in the end, it is between 2,000 and 3,000 people who will be hired on this occasion and paid thanks to the sum in question.
This is not always sufficient, some artists do not hesitate to finance part of the show themselves, this was notably the case of The Weeknd who then added an envelope of 7 million dollars.
An arrangement that may be puzzling at first glance, after all, why should artists of such stature accept such an agreement?
The answer is simple, the
halftime show
allows them to benefit from unprecedented media exposure.
The evolution of Super Bowl audiences.
Statista.
In 2023, no less than 115.1 million viewers watched the Super Bowl in the United States alone, not counting those who watched it via streaming or from abroad.
In itself, the chosen artist is therefore guaranteed to benefit from incomparable visibility for thirteen minutes without interruption, without having to spend a single dollar, because this is where the whole paradox lies: such an exhibition having a cost, it is the NFL that is doing artists a favor by allowing them to perform for free, and not the other way around.
This year alone, brands wanting the chance to appear during Super Bowl commercial breaks will have to spend $7 million for a 30-second spot, making it unthinkable for an artist to pass up such an opportunity.
In 2018, Justin Timberlake saw his sales jump 534% following his participation in Super Bowl LII and the following year, the salary of Travis Scott, singer of the group Maroon 5, doubled.
The performance of the duo Jennifer Lopez and Shakira accumulated more than 30 million views on YouTube in less than 24 hours, and sales of the songs performed during the
halftime show
jumped 1,013% that same day, in the American market alone .
The 2021 edition also followed this line, while big names in hip-hop such as Dr. Dre or Mary J. Blige, whose glory dates back more to the early 2000s, were in the spotlight. , their flagship titles have experienced an unparalleled resurgence of interest.
Before and after the 2022 Super Bowl. Statista.
But the most impressive performance was undoubtedly that of Rihanna in 2023, because she simply eclipsed the Super Bowl by achieving 118.7 million views, compared to 115.1 million for the match.
The artist, who was then making her comeback, was also propelled to the rank of the most streamed singer in the world, 17 of her songs found a place in Spotify's top 40, without forgetting three million additional followers on Instagram and an 833% increase in online searches for Fenty Beauty, its cosmetics brand.
A trend that lasts, and should a priori be confirmed again this year.
With the release date for Usher's latest album "Coming Home" scheduled for two days before the Super Bowl, perfect timing to secure a spot at the top of the
charts
.
But the real issue is undoubtedly the promotion of his tour, because on average artists see searches for tickets for their concerts increase by 50% after having benefited from the media aura of the
halftime show
, The Weeknd had then sold more than 'a million in 2021 after his performance.
In short, this event has everything of a marketing operation with guaranteed success, from which all parties are guaranteed to emerge winners.
The NFL manages to attract the most prestigious artists in the world to host its flagship event without spending a single dollar, while the lucky ones are guaranteed to go down in history while benefiting from incomparable exposure.
It remains to be seen what Taylor Swift will do with it?