Since 2019, one man has quietly held more influence over the Super Bowl halftime show than any commissioner, sponsor, or network executive. That man is Jay-Z, the Brooklyn-born rapper, businessman, and founder of Roc Nation — the entertainment company that the NFL handed the keys to seven years ago. And with a new report confirming that Taylor Swift will not headline Super Bowl 61, Jay-Z’s grip on the most watched entertainment moment in America has never looked stronger or more deliberate.
The story of how Jay-Z came to control the halftime show is as much about business acumen as it is about cultural vision. In 2019, the NFL was in crisis. Its handling of Colin Kaepernick’s protest movement had alienated a significant portion of its fanbase, ratings were dipping, and major artists were publicly turning down halftime invitations. Robert Kraft, the New England Patriots owner, reached out directly to Jay-Z and brokered a meeting with Commissioner Roger Goodell. The result was a reported five-year, $25 million partnership that handed Roc Nation full creative authority over performer selection, staging, and cultural programming.
How Jay-Z Rebuilt the Halftime Show From the Ground Up
The early years of Jay-Z’s tenure were not without turbulence. His first production in 2020 featured Shakira and Jennifer Lopez — a bold, bilingual celebration of Latino culture that drew massive viewership and set the tone for everything that would follow. Roc Nation then went on to produce shows headlined by The Weeknd, Dr. Dre, Rihanna, Usher, and Kendrick Lamar — the latter of which became the most-watched halftime show in Super Bowl history, drawing 133.5 million viewers in 2025.
Four of the five most-watched halftime shows in Super Bowl history have now come under Jay-Z’s watch Substack — a statistic that has effectively silenced any remaining skeptics about Roc Nation’s approach. The formula is consistent, bold, culturally specific, and never predictable. Jay-Z has shown a pattern of choosing artists who mean something beyond chart positions, performers whose presence on that stage carries weight that outlasts the game itself.
The Bad Bunny Decision That Changed Everything
No selection tested Jay-Z’s authority more than Bad Bunny for Super Bowl LX on February 8, 2026. The Puerto Rican superstar, who had refused to tour the United States that year over immigration enforcement concerns, delivered a halftime set performed almost entirely in Spanish — the first in Super Bowl history. Conservative commentators, including President Donald Trump, called the pick a terrible choice. Turning Point USA organized a competing All-American Halftime Show featuring Kid Rock as counter-programming.
Bad Bunny’s official performance drew 128.2 million viewers domestically, making it the fourth-most-watched halftime show in history Parade — dwarfing the alternative show’s estimated 5 to 6 million concurrent viewers. Jay-Z was vindicated completely, and his confidence heading into the Super Bowl 61 selection cycle is being felt throughout the entertainment industry. Producer Jesse Collins said it plainly — every halftime decision since Roc Nation took over has been Jay-Z’s call, and it has been amazing every time.
Why Swift Does Not Fit Jay-Z’s Vision
Taylor Swift’s numbers are undeniable. Her Eras Tour drew nearly 11 million paying ticket buyers. Her engagement to Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce kept her at the center of NFL coverage all season. A new fan survey identified her as the top choice among NFL viewers for a future halftime show. And yet, entertainment insider Rob Shuter reported this week that Jay-Z has no interest in booking Swift for Super Bowl 61 because she represents exactly what he is moving away from — a guaranteed safe choice.
The cultural megaphone Jay-Z has built through the halftime show requires artists who push conversations forward, not performers who confirm what audiences already know they love. Swift, for all her commercial dominance, does not fit that mold in Jay-Z’s framework. There is also a personal complication — Swift has said she would not perform at a Super Bowl where Kelce could potentially be playing, a constraint that adds logistical uncertainty to an already closed creative conversation.
What Jay-Z’s Super Bowl Legacy Means for Black Excellence
The bigger picture here is about power — specifically, Black creative power operating at the highest levels of American sports and entertainment simultaneously. Jay-Z did not just accept a consulting role with the NFL. He transformed it into a platform that has consistently used the Super Bowl stage to amplify marginalized voices, challenge political narratives, and redefine what mainstream entertainment can look like.
From Kaepernick’s social justice movement to Bad Bunny’s immigration commentary to Kendrick Lamar’s cultural reckoning, the halftime shows produced under Jay-Z‘s watch have meant something. That is not an accident. It is the result of a Black entrepreneur who understood exactly what he was being handed and refused to waste it on the obvious choice. Super Bowl 61 will be no different — and Taylor Swift, for now, will be watching from the sidelines.
Source: Heavy
