NFL wants bands to pay them to perform at Super Bowl.

You want to play? You gotta pay. I guess the NFL really needs more money given they only got $4 million for a 30-second spot in 2014, up from $3.8 million in 2013.

It’s all those concussion lawsuits.

Logically, this doesn’t make sense: If you have the $ to pay the NFL, you don’t need the Super Bowl exposure, so why pay? If you need the SB exposure, you likely don’t have the money to pay them.

On the other hand, since the artists aren’t paid anyway except for expenses, if the NFL says “we no longer want to pay your expenses for what is essentially a huge marketing opportunity on your behalf”, then that’s fine.

The NFL is going to crash and burn, and soon. Might as well suck as much money out of the old pig as they can in the meantime.

Hey, strip clubs charge the dancers. It’s a viable business model in some cases.

I wouldn’t give those fat cats a dime. They can organize their own band for all I care.

I find it hard to care either way. If the NFL can get the band to play. That’s between them and the band. If they can’t, that’s between them and the band.

As a person who is neither the NFL nor the band I find it hard to generate a strong position either way.

Serious waste of some bands money. Half-time is when I head for the facilities. Can’t even remember the last time I watched the half-time show.

The NFL doesn’t receive ad revenue.

Maybe not directly from the advertisers. But the NFL gets huge payments for broadcast rights and those payments are then supported by the sale of advertising.

Add my name to the list of people who don’t care. Fine for the NFL to ask. I’m sure some band trying to make a come back will pay them something for the exposure. If not, great, a shorter half time would be real nice

Are you sure the NFL doesn’t get a cut of the Super Bowl action? The teams too? I’d like to see a cite for that. (Oh wait, the NFL is a non for profit).

Sez here the players get a bonus. Doesn’t say from where though.

The bonus certainly doesn’t have anything to do with ad revenue.

This bodes ill for the movement to have Weird Al perform at halftime. He sure as hell isn’t going to pay to play.

Maybe he could crowdsource the money…

Yes, that’s how it works.

I wonder if the band can deduct the fee from their taxes since the NFL is a non profit.

+1 Win!

I think they should just get a marching band to come out on the field, and make pictures and words with the way they position themselves on the field. While they play music.

They never show that part on TV any more; WTF is up with that?

If you want a serious answer, a band can deduct all ordinary and necessary business expenses, regardless of whether or not the NFL is non-profit. I believe reasonable promotional expenses are ordinary and necessary in the music business.

That’s college football.