Performing at the Pepsi Super Bowl halftime show is kind of a big deal. Not only are millions of spectators watching at home, but they are performing in front of a huge crowd inside a stadium at one of the biggest sporting events of the year. But while you enjoy J.Lo and Shakira's performance at the Super Bowl Halftime Show (opens in new tab), you may be surprised to learn that, according to Forbes (opens in new tab), they will not be paid.

That's right: performers at the Super Bowl halftime show are not typically paid for the show; the NFL is burdened with the union minimum wage, the union scale, which has exceeded $10 million in recent years, and the Wall Street Journal (opens in new tab) that has exceeded $10 million in recent years.

One might wonder why Shakira (opens in new tab) and Jennifer Lopez (opens in new tab), in addition to big-name performers like Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, and Maroon 5, have agreed to perform for free. Forbes cites several reasons. One is that it is generally quite prestigious. Many performers have spoken of their personal dream of appearing in the show (opens in new tab), and if they are so keen on it, they probably wouldn't pass it up, even if there was no financial reward.

Another is to give the performers a bigger platform. The Super Bowl (open in new tab) boasts 100 million viewers, but that doesn't count the number of others who simply know about it and might watch the clip later on social media. Let's take a look: Lady Gaga's album hit #2 on the charts after the show, and Justin Timberlake saw a 214% increase in Spotify streaming after the show.

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