What took the NFL so long?
A story last week suggested that the NFL was looking into the possibility of having major musical acts interested in performing during the Super Bowl halftime show to pay for that privilege.
And why not?
It’s a great promotional tool and venue for the performers. It’s a great way to promote upcoming live tours. And it sure can sell albums, to the extent that anybody is still paying for music and CDs.
And obviously, it’s a way for artists to showcase their talent to millions of viewers.
Naysayers suggest however that the NFL is greedy.
My take?
Being as pro football and the music biz are both huge, money making endeavors, pay to play certainly doesn’t strike me as precedent setting.
In a way it’s like movie stars going on shows to plug their latest films and the producers and/or network asking the studios to buy commercials for the film during the shows.
Ka-Ching!
Or try this one.
There’s talk that certain major theater chains want Hollywood studios to pay them to play their trailers on their theater screens. After all they’re commercials, aren’t they?
So to the NFL I say, go get ’em boys.
Most mega acts will probably be more than happy to ante up for the chance to showcase their wares at the mighty Super Bowl.
It’s the American way, capitalism at its finest.
Here’s Lefsetz take:
The NFL has never left money on the table. It squeezes everybody in the chain, believing it’s forever, whereas most people can’t even name the last two Super Bowl winners and attendance is flagging and the press is bad and…
But the sport gets a pass, because we need something to believe in. Once upon a time we believed in music.
Who owns the best performance in Super Bowl history? Prince! Who didn’t sell tickets simultaneously. He’s toured to big numbers ever since on that one performance, but most acts are all about the short term, where am I going this summer, as opposed to where I’ll be five years from now.
If you think no act will pay the NFL for that exposure, you’ve never been exposed to the wannabes. If Ashley Madison is willing to sponsor a football stadium, believe you me someone without the cachet of Coldplay and Katy Perry will pony up, because that’s America, where everything’s for sale and it goes to the highest bidder.
Or does it?
We also need Glayzier and boyheifer’s take to secure the trifecta of comments to come full circle. Make it happen hearny, you are good for it.
NFL… new mark of the bea$t
The NFL is a not-for-profit organization.
Talk about getting one past Lois Lerner…..