- Taylor Swift has never performed at a Super Bowl halftime show.
- However, she has recently attended multiple NFL games, leading people to wonder if she will in the future.
Taylor Swift seems like a no-brainer for the Super Bowl halftime show.
The 33-year-old pop star is one of the biggest names in the music industry, with an arsenal of hit songs and millions of album sales to her name. She's also one of the most sought-after performers; if the Eras Tour has proven anything, it's that Swift has no problem captivating a stadium full of people.
Indeed, recent events have sparked questions about Swift's headlining potential. During her current tour hiatus, Swift has been spotted at several football games, cheering on Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
The NFL has whole-heartedly embraced Swift's attendance, promoting her music on social media and frequently cutting to her reactions during live broadcasts. She's had a demonstrable effect on the NFL's female and Gen-Z viewership.
According to a report from the New York Post, the NFL even asked its networks — NBC, ESPN, Fox, and CBS — to air commercials for "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour" completely free of charge, as an attempt to secure her continued support.
"TV executives speculated that the NFL's goal with Swift is the Super Bowl halftime show, which she has never done," the Post reported.
So why hasn't Swift joined the ranks of past headliners like Beyoncé and Lady Gaga — and could her recent connection to the NFL indicate a change of heart? We broke down all the information we have so far.
Swift has reportedly declined the offer multiple times
For most of Swift's career, the Super Bowl halftime show was sponsored by Pepsi, which may have posed a contractual issue. In 2013, the same year that Pepsi launched its partnership with the NFL, Swift inked a "long-term partnership" with its rival brand, Coca-Cola.
In 2022, Apple Music took over as the halftime show's key sponsor. This announcement thrilled Swifties, who theorized that Swift would now be free to take the stage.
Instead, Rihanna was announced as the 2023 headliner. According to TMZ, Swift was offered the coveted spot, but declined in order to focus on rerecording her first six albums.
More recently, Usher was confirmed as the 2024 headliner. Once again, Swift reportedly turned down the offer, this time to focus on the Eras Tour; she's scheduled to perform in Tokyo on February 11, 2024, just one day before the Super Bowl will be played in Las Vegas.
It's unlikely that Swift will perform at the Super Bowl until her 'Taylor's Version' series is complete
As previously noted, Swift is in the process of rerecording her first six albums in order to reclaim control of her music. She is currently halfway done with this project, having released "Fearless (Taylor's Version)" and "Red (Taylor's Version)" in 2021, followed by "Speak Now (Taylor's Version)" earlier this year.
Swift is set to release "1989 (Taylor's Version)" on October 27, which only leaves "Reputation" and her self-titled debut album.
It's possible that Swift will agree to headline the Super Bowl halftime show after all these albums have been released — but probably not before.
Although halftime performers usually don't get paid, the Super Bowl viewership is incredibly valuable. Last year, Rihanna saw a 390% boost in song sales and a 140% surge in streams after she left the stage, Insider previously reported.
If Swift performed a medley of hits, including songs she has yet to rerecord, this would drive streams and sales of music she doesn't own, which means she wouldn't make as much money.
It's also possible that Swift is simply too big for the Super Bowl. Musicians typically use the performance to promote new albums, world tours, or, in Rihanna's case, makeup and skincare brands. But Swift doesn't stand to gain much in terms of publicity; the Eras Tour is projected to make billions of dollars, the concert movie stands to set records, and Swift is affecting local economies beyond the NFL's scale.
"On the opening night in Glendale, Arizona, the concert brought in more revenue for local businesses than Super Bowl LVII, which was held back in February in the same stadium," Time magazine previously reported. "To use that event as a comparison, Swift has been performing the equivalent of two to three Super Bowls every weekend for the past five months."