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Jay-Z’s Roc Nation has spent the past five years reviving the Super Bowl halftime show into a showcase for music superstars, lifting the ratings and approval of the NFL overall.
The Big Picture: With Kendrick Lamar’s performance this Sunday — the first rapper to ever solo-headline the show — it may score the perfect mix of hip hop, cultural power, and blockbuster artistry that it’s been training for.
Behind the Scenes: As Roc Nation delivers the most anticipated Super Bowl halftime show in recent memory, Bloomberg wonders if its relationship with the NFL may soon be retired.
- The NFL struck a $25 million, five-year deal with Roc Nation in 2020, which would have ended last year.
- In October, both organizations said that they’d continue to work together — but the details of that arrangement were kept vague.
- But as the NFL continues to woo younger viewers — like its mega deal with YouTube — it’s possible that both are continuing the relationship on a year-by-year basis for far more than the original deal.
Encore: The NFL has majorly increased its favorability rating since the lows of 2017, partly due to Roc Nation’s involvement in delivering great artists and helping the league navigate cultural shifts. Considering the current shifts happening in culture and Lamar’s penchant for delivering topical performances, his show — with or without the inclusion of “Not Like Us” — will likely be the biggest talking point of the month.
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