Jay-Z will headline the Apple Music Super Bowl LXI Halftime Show at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., on Feb. 14, 2027. The NFL, Apple Music, and Roc Nation announced the news Monday night during halftime of the Dallas Cowboys–Philadelphia Eagles game on Monday Night Football.
The booking is unusual because of who made it. Jay-Z’s Roc Nation has advised the NFL on halftime performers since 2019, so the man who has chosen the league’s headliners for the past seven years has now chosen himself. In a statement, the 56-year-old rapper reflected on the three decades since his debut album, saying “this has been a journey.” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said that when the league first signed Roc Nation, his only request was that Jay-Z perform himself one day, “whenever the moment felt right to him.”
The halftime slot is the latest milestone for an artist who has built far more wealth in business than in music. As Fortune has previously reported, Jay-Z’s fortune has grown to an estimated $2.8 billion, driven by Roc Nation, his spirits deals, and venture investments.
Roc Nation will executive produce the show, and Hamish Hamilton, who directed Beyoncé’s 2013 halftime performance, will direct. The game will air on ESPN and ABC and stream on Disney+. It is ESPN’s first live Super Bowl.
A victory lap years in the making
The announcement caps a big anniversary year for Jay-Z. His JAŸ-Z30 stadium run marked 30 years since his 1996 debut, Reasonable Doubt, and 25 years since The Blueprint. It opened with three sold-out shows at Yankee Stadium in July. Those shows grossed about $42.3 million from roughly 137,000 tickets, according to Touring Data via The Source, the biggest box-office report by a rapper on record.
The tour went on to London and Paris and wrapped Oct. 23 and 24 at SoFi Stadium, the same venue that will host the Super Bowl. The SoFi shows featured Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, John Legend, and his daughter Blue Ivy on piano. Earlier, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Eminem, and Nas joined him at Yankee Stadium.
The run also coincided with JAŸ-Z in 8, an eight-part HBO docuseries directed by Rick Rubin. It premiered Sept. 18 and concluded Oct. 9.
Rumors of the booking began last week. Puck first reported that Jay-Z had picked himself, and Deadline followed with its own report before Monday’s confirmation.
From “I said no” to headliner: Jay-Z’s complicated history with the NFL
Jay-Z has a long and tense history with the league. In 2017, as Colin Kaepernick went unsigned after kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality, Jay-Z wore Kaepernick’s jersey on Saturday Night Live and dedicated “The Story of O.J.” to him in concert. He reportedly turned down the Super Bowl LII halftime show in 2018. Later that year, he and Beyoncé rapped about rejecting the Super Bowl on their joint album.
That changed in August 2019. Months after Maroon 5’s poorly received show in Atlanta, Roc Nation signed on as the NFL’s “live music entertainment strategist.” The deal was reportedly worth $25 million over five years, and it also tied Roc Nation to Inspire Change, the league’s social justice initiative. At the time, Jay-Z said he had told Goodell that if the talks were about him performing, the conversation was over. He also drew criticism for saying the league had “moved past kneeling.”
The NFL renewed the partnership in October 2024. Its value and length were not disclosed.
The Kaepernick feud has flared again this year. In his memoir The Perilous Fight, Kaepernick describes his falling-out with Jay-Z. In an interview with NBC News, he said the rapper has a “guilty conscience.” That came after Jay-Z referenced Kaepernick in a freestyle at Yankee Stadium in July.
Jay-Z has hinted at a halftime performance before. On a red carpet ahead of Super Bowl LX in January, he said, “I thought it would be selfish to pick myself too early.”
How the halftime show changed under Roc Nation
As Bloomberg has reported, Roc Nation is widely credited with making the halftime show culturally relevant again. The first Roc Nation show, Shakira and Jennifer Lopez in 2020, drew higher ratings than the year before. Later headliners include The Weeknd, the 2022 West Coast hip-hop showcase led by Dr. Dre, and Rihanna, who had turned down the 2019 show in solidarity with Kaepernick. The lineups have leaned more toward hip-hop and global stars, and the shows have won a string of Emmys.
They have also set viewership records. Kendrick Lamar’s 2025 show is the most-watched halftime performance ever, with 133.5 million viewers. Usher’s 2024 show drew 129.3 million. Last February, Bad Bunny became the first headliner to perform almost entirely in Spanish and drew 128.2 million viewers, the fourth-largest halftime audience on record. His U.S. streams jumped 175% the next day, AP News reported. The NFL also said the show set a record of 4 billion social media views in its first 24 hours.
The picks have also drawn political fire. Bad Bunny’s booking prompted Turning Point USA to stage a rival “All-American Halftime Show,” which drew a small fraction of his audience.
For months, prediction markets and sportsbooks favored other stars. On Kalshi, Miley Cyrus led at times and Justin Bieber held steady, while Harry Styles, Dua Lipa, Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift, and BTS also drew bets. Puck reported that Jay-Z ultimately chose himself over Cyrus and Bieber. TMZ had reported that Bieber and Styles were on his wish list but unlikely to accept.
The reaction: “How do you pick yourself?”
The reaction online was quick and divided. Many critics focused on the conflict of interest. One fan asked, “How do you pick yourself for the halftime show?” according to Pro Football Network. Others questioned whether a 30-year-old catalog would appeal to younger viewers.
Supporters pointed to his 25 Grammys, his list of hits, and the guests he could bring, including Beyoncé, Rihanna, and Alicia Keys. Many also argued he had earned the slot after years of giving it to other artists. The announcement did not say whether any guests would appear.
This story was originally featured on Fortune.com