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Jay-Z is the perfect Super Bowl shill for a league of billionaires

The Guardian Culture Wednesday 28 October 2026, 09:15 UTC By Lee Escobedo 1 min read
Key Points

The rapper lends the NFL a veneer of credibility but is unlikely to push back on the establishment figures who run the leagueOn Monday the NFL named Jay-Z as the headliner for this season’s Super Bowl half-time show. His company, Roc Nation, produces the show under a 2019 deal reportedly worth $5m a year, and the agreement was extended for another five years in 2024. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said his one request when the partnership began was that Jay-Z “take the stage himself one day“.

The rapper lends the NFL a veneer of credibility but is unlikely to push back on the establishment figures who run the league

On Monday the NFL named Jay-Z as the headliner for this season’s Super Bowl half-time show. His company, Roc Nation, produces the show under a 2019 deal reportedly worth $5m a year, and the agreement was extended for another five years in 2024. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said his one request when the partnership began was that Jay-Z “take the stage himself one day“.

Goodell’s wish makes total sense: Jay-Z is the perfect choice for the half-time show, and that’s not a compliment. The NFL wants a shill who can still pass for a rebel, and nobody in American music plays that part better than Jay-Z.

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Jay-Z (PERSON) Super Bowl (EVENT) NFL (ORG) Roc Nation (ORG) Roger Goodell (PERSON) Goodell (PERSON) American (ORG) Jay-Z. Continue (PERSON)
Originally published by The Guardian Culture Read original →

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