Jay-Z as soon as stated no to the Super Bowl. Now he’s headlining the present he produces

The reserving is uncommon due to who made it. Jay-Z’s Roc Nation has suggested the NFL on halftime performers since 2019, so the person who has chosen the league’s headliners for the previous seven years has now chosen himself. In a press release, the 56-year-old rapper mirrored on the three many years since his debut album, saying “this has been a journey.” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell stated that when the league first signed Roc Nation, his solely request was that Jay-Z carry out himself in the future, “each time the second felt proper to him.”

The halftime slot is the most recent milestone for an artist who has constructed much more wealth in corporate affairs than in music. As Fortune has previously reported, Jay-Z’s fortune has grown to an estimated $2.8 billion, pushed by Roc Nation, his spirits offers, and enterprise investments.

Roc Nation will govt produce the present, and Hamish Hamilton, who directed Beyoncé’s 2013 halftime efficiency, will direct. The sport will air on ESPN and ABC and stream on Disney+. It is ESPN’s first stay Super Bowl.

A victory lap years within the making

The announcement caps a giant anniversary yr for Jay-Z. His JAŸ-Z30 stadium run marked 30 years since his 1996 debut, Reasonable Doubt, and 25 years since The Blueprint. It opened with three sold-out exhibits at Yankee Stadium in July. Those exhibits grossed about $42.3 million from roughly 137,000 tickets, according to Touring Data via The Source, the largest box-office report by a rapper on document.

The tour went on to London and Paris and wrapped Oct. 23 and 24 at SoFi Stadium, the identical venue that can host the Super Bowl. The SoFi exhibits featured Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, John Legend, and his daughter Blue Ivy on piano. Earlier, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Eminem, and Nas joined him at Yankee Stadium.

The run additionally coincided with JAŸ-Z in 8, an eight-part HBO docuseries directed by Rick Rubin. It premiered Sept. 18 and concluded Oct. 9.

Rumors of the reserving started final week. Puck first reported that Jay-Z had picked himself, and Deadline adopted with its personal report earlier than Monday’s affirmation.

From “I stated no” to headliner: Jay-Z’s sophisticated historical past with the NFL

Jay-Z has a protracted and tense historical past with the league. In 2017, as Colin Kaepernick went unsigned after kneeling through the nationwide anthem to protest police brutality, Jay-Z wore Kaepernick’s jersey on Saturday Night Live and devoted “The Story of O.J.” to him in live performance. He reportedly turned down the Super Bowl LII halftime present in 2018. Later that yr, he and Beyoncé rapped about rejecting the Super Bowl on their joint album.

That modified in August 2019. Months after Maroon 5’s poorly obtained present in Atlanta, Roc Nation signed on because the NFL’s “stay music leisure strategist.” The deal was reportedly value $25 million over 5 years, and it additionally tied Roc Nation to Inspire Change, the league’s social justice initiative. At the time, Jay-Z stated he had informed Goodell that if the talks have been about him performing, the dialog was over. He additionally drew criticism for saying the league had “moved previous kneeling.”

The NFL renewed the partnership in October 2024. Its worth and size weren’t disclosed.

The Kaepernick feud has flared once more this yr. In his memoir The Perilous Fight, Kaepernick describes his falling-out with Jay-Z. In an interview with NBC News, he stated the rapper has a “responsible conscience.” That got here after Jay-Z referenced Kaepernick in a freestyle at Yankee Stadium in July.

Jay-Z has hinted at a halftime efficiency earlier than. On a crimson carpet forward of Super Bowl LX in January, he stated, “I assumed it could be egocentric to choose myself too early.”

How the halftime present modified beneath Roc Nation

As Bloomberg has reported, Roc Nation is extensively credited with making the halftime present culturally related once more. The first Roc Nation present, Shakira and Jennifer Lopez in 2020, drew greater scores than the yr earlier than. Later headliners embrace The Weeknd, the 2022 West Coast hip-hop showcase led by Dr. Dre, and Rihanna, who had turned down the 2019 present in solidarity with Kaepernick. The lineups have leaned extra towards hip-hop and international stars, and the exhibits have received a string of Emmys.

They have additionally set viewership information. Kendrick Lamar’s 2025 present is the most-watched halftime efficiency ever, with 133.5 million viewers. Usher’s 2024 present drew 129.3 million. Last February, Bad Bunny turned the primary headliner to carry out nearly fully in Spanish and drew 128.2 million viewers, the fourth-largest halftime viewers on document. His U.S. streams jumped 175% the following day, AP News reported. The NFL additionally stated the present set a document of 4 billion social media views in its first 24 hours.

The picks have additionally drawn political fireplace. Bad Bunny’s reserving prompted Turning Point USA to stage a rival “All-American Halftime Show,” which drew a small fraction of his viewers.

For months, prediction trading floors and sportsbooks favored different stars. On Kalshi, Miley Cyrus led at occasions and Justin Bieber held regular, whereas Harry Styles, Dua Lipa, Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift, and BTS additionally drew bets. Puck reported that Jay-Z in the end selected himself over Cyrus and Bieber. TMZ had reported that Bieber and Styles have been on his want record however unlikely to simply accept.

The response: “How do you decide your self?”

The response on-line was fast and divided. Many critics targeted on the unrest of curiosity. One fan requested, “How do you decide your self for the halftime present?” according to Pro Football Network. Others questioned whether or not a 30-year-old catalog would attraction to youthful viewers.

Supporters pointed to his 25 Grammys, his record of hits, and the visitors he may convey, together with Beyoncé, Rihanna, and Alicia Keys. Many additionally argued he had earned the slot after years of giving it to different artists. The announcement didn’t say whether or not any visitors would seem.