NFL

Katy Perry, Rihanna, Coldplay Asked to “Pay to Play” Super Bowl Halftime Show

Katy Perry, Rihanna and Coldplay have been named as candidates to perform at the next Super Bowl halftime show, but this year the invitation came with a proposed fee, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.

The National Football League asked some of the A-list performers' representatives if they would be willing to contribute a portion of their post-Super Bowl tour income to the NFL or make some other financial contribution in exchange for the halftime performance, sources told The Wall Street Journal.

Reps for the performers did not take favorably to the request.

The NFL has not paid halftime show performers in the past. The exact amount of money the NFL was seeking remains unclear and the official lineup for the halftime show is still to be determined. 

"Our only goal with the Pepsi Super Bowl halftime show is to put on the best show for the millions of fans who watch it," Joanna Hunter, a spokeswoman for the NFL, told NBC. "Any specific contract details with performers are confidential," she added.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers and Bruno Mars Super Bowl halftime show earlier this year drew more viewers than the game itself — a record 115.3 million viewers, according to The Wall Street Journal. To capitalize on the exposure from the event, performers often start selling tickets for their tours soon after their halftime performance, including Bruno Mars and, last year, Beyonce.

Super Bowl XLIX will be in Phoenix, Arizona on February 1, 2015.

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