Jay-Z tipped to pitch himself for Super Bowl LXI halftime slot
Puck reported on Oct. 20 that Jay-Z intends to recommend himself as the headliner for the Super Bowl LXI Halftime Show next year.
The claim comes from Puck's reporting, as described by Billboard. No decision has been announced by the NFL, Apple Music or Roc Nation. If the report proves correct, it would be his first performance on the Super Bowl stage.
The slot is American football's most-watched music break. It sits in the middle of the NFL championship game and is staged each February for a television audience in the tens of millions.
Recent headliners show the scale. Bad Bunny headlined Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium on Feb. 8, in a booking jointly announced by the NFL, Apple Music and Roc Nation, according to the NFL. Kendrick Lamar headlined in 2025, performing at the Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show on Feb. 9, 2025 on FOX. Rihanna headlined the 2023 edition on Feb. 12, 2023.
Jay-Z already shapes the show from behind the scenes. He has worked as the NFL's live music entertainment strategist through Roc Nation since 2019. He renewed that multi-million-dollar deal in 2024, which gives him a role curating and producing the halftime show.
He has never played the show. He returned to live performance at the Roots Picnic in Philadelphia in May.
The same Puck report named two other possible contenders for LXI, which is due in 2027. Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus were listed as artists also in discussion.
Betting markets had already seized on the idea. Jay-Z was the prediction-market favourite for the 2027 show, according to an August report by Sports Illustrated. By Oct. 14, he held a 68% chance on Polymarket to perform at the 2027 Super Bowl halftime show, according to AOL. Polymarket is a prediction market where people trade shares on future outcomes, so its prices move with sentiment rather than inside information.
Roc Nation arrives with recent credit. Desiree Perez, the company's chief executive, won a Primetime Emmy in 2026 as an executive producer for The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny, according to Roc Nation.
For fans, this means a waiting game. The headliner is normally confirmed by the league with its partners months ahead of the game. Until that announcement, the LXI top spot is rumour, not a booking.
