The world’s biggest pop star said ‘no thanks’ after the NFL refused to grant her requests for ownership and promotion rights.
If we see Taylor Swift at Super Bowl LX, it won’t be onstage. She’ll be in a suite, drink in hand, like she usually is.
According to multiple reports, the world’s biggest pop star has walked away from an offer to headline the NFL’s biggest game after negotiations with the league broke down. She had some requests, and the NFL reportedly refused to budge.
“She wasn’t asking for favors, she was asking for respect,” one anonymous music executive told British pop culture journalist Rob Shuter, who first broke the story on his “Naughty But Nice” Substack.
“Taylor knows her worth. She knows the kind of ratings she brings, the global attention she commands. She wasn’t about to hand that over for free.”
Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour had an attendance of approximately 10,168,008 people over its 149 shows.
(Photo by Emma McIntyre/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management)
One major sticking point was reportedly Swift’s desire to retain ownership of the halftime show performance. Not a surprise, given her past public battles over music rights. She also reportedly wanted slots during the show to promote her own projects.
The NFL, however, “flatly refused,” according to insiders.
The league famously doesn’t pay halftime performers, instead offering “exposure” to the 100 million-plus viewers who tune in.
In Taylor’s defense, that’s a laughable trade-off when you’re dealing with the most famous woman on the planet. Especially since Swift has made the NFL a ton of money. Estimates put the pop star’s impact at about $1 billion in equivalent brand value for the league over the past two years.
In case you live under a very large rock, Taylor is engaged to Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, has attended the past two Super Bowls and is a regular fixture at Chiefs games.
On Friday, she’ll release her 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl.
Taylor Swift celebrates with Travis Kelce after defeating the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship Game.
(Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said earlier this month that Swift would be “welcome at any time” to headline the halftime show. Pressed further, he simply said: “It’s a maybe.”
Looks like that “maybe” has officially turned into a hard no.
