Charging musicians to play at the Super Bowl is a step too far

August 27, 2014, 1:27 PM GMT+0

People tend to take against the NFL's idea of charging entertainers to perform during the Super Bowl halftime show - and most people don't remember who performed last year

Last week it emerged that the NFL had asked at least one potential performer for the next Super Bowl Halftime Show to hand over cash for the privilege of playing. Performers in the halftime show are traditionally unpaid, with the rationale being that performing in the halftime show is a major boost to record sales and the public image of music artists. Performers are upset at the proposal, however, and some have noted that if the NFL begins charging it may well lose some of the huge household names who could see paying as undermining their brands.

The latest research from YouGov shows that Americans tend to disapprove (46%) rather than approve (23%) of the NFL's proposals. Among people who follow the NFL very closely, a majority of people (53%) disapprove of the proposals. In fact, regardless of how closely they follow the NFL, all groups tend to disagree with the NFL's proposals. Support for the proposal is highest among Republicans, 35% of whom approve of the proposal, but even here 37% disapprove.

40% of Americans remember that it was Bruno Mars and the Red Hot Chili Peppers who performed in the most recent Super Bowl. 11% thought that it was Beyonce and Destiny's Child, while 4% said it was one of the other acts from the previous five years. The most common response was 'don't know', however, as fully 44% of Americans couldn't remember who performed last year.

Full poll results can be found here.

Image: PA