Performing on the grand stage wasn’t about the money but the opportunity to draw millions of eyeballs.

Having done the most impressive Super Bowl Halftime entrance in 2017, Lady Gaga made the most of her 13 minutes after jumping off the building to land on the center of the field. But despite making a splash and cementing herself among the top artists to ever perform on the grand stage, interestingly, she was not even paid a penny for her impeccable performance.

And not only Gaga but no artist who performs at the Super Bowl is paid for making an appearance, apart from the minimum wage guaranteed by a union contract, which could go up to $1000. But that doesn’t mean their performances amount to nothing, as all the artists, especially Gaga, certainly profited from the exposure.

Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn
Lady Gaga in Joker 2 | Instagram
Performing for Free Wasn’t in Vain for Lady Gaga
While on paper, performing for free sounds absurd for an artist who reportedly made over $1.3M per city tour, there is a method to the madness. Lady Gaga and all major musicians who agree to perform on the grand stage undoubtedly draw many eyeballs, as more than 100M viewers tune in with Super Bowl each year. And considering the Joker 2 Star announced her Joanne World Tour right after her 2017 Super Bowl performance, it’s quite clear why Gaga chose to take the job.

Unsurprisingly, Lady Gaga’s Joanne World Tour was a huge hit for the pop icon, who, on average, makes $38M a year, further adding to her net worth. Prior to Gaga, other major artists who saw a spike in their music sales following their Super Bowl performances were Bruno Mars and Beyoncé, who saw an increase of 92% and 59%, respectively.

Lady Gaga in a still from A Star is Born
Lady Gaga | Credit: A Star is Born
Lady Gaga Ensured to Put on a Performance for the Ages
Although it might’ve been a way to boost her World Tour sales, this didn’t stop Lady Gaga from putting on a show for the ages. Expressing her excitement on the occasion prior to the performance, Gaga stressed she was “elated and honored to be doing the halftime show”. Gaga’s longtime choreographer, Richy Jackson explained that they handpicked the best dancers for the gig to ensure it was a show worth remembering (US Magazine),

“This is obviously a humongous platform. This is probably the greatest 12 minutes of our lives. We have handpicked dancers that Gaga and I have worked with for the past 10 years. This sort of platform that we have at the NFL halftime show goes to those who have helped us along the way to get here. So it’s going to be like a big reunion.”

While the Super Bowl didn’t pay her handsome paychecks and only covered the production cost, Lady Gaga seemingly profited profusely from the exposure.