Usher: Why He Only Made $671 For Super Bowl Performance

Super Bowl acts don't get paid for their performance on the Halftime Show (although their travel and production costs are picked up by the NFL). But due to SAG-AFTRA's minimum union, Usher reportedly got paid $671 to perform at the Super Bowl Halftime show. Now, you might think that is way too low of a pay rate for anyone, let alone Usher. But due to the Super Bowl being the world's biggest stage and the most-watched televised event of the year, he will reportedly rack up $100 million in endorsements, music, and his upcoming tour by performing on the stage.

The R&B legend pulled out all the stops for his Super Bowl LVIII Halftime performance. It included guest appearances from Alicia Keys, Jermaine Dupri, H.E.R, Lil Jon, Will.I.Am, and Ludacris.

Usher and Keys had a viral moment where he pulled her in for an embrace after performing their 2004 hit "My Boo." The internet made a big deal of the moment, but Swizz Beatz said he's not here for the "negative vibes."

"Y’all talking about the wrong d--- thing !!! y’all don’t see that amazing dress covering the entire stadium," Swizz Beatz wrote on Instagram with photos of his wife's performance. "Tonight’s performance was nothing but amazing with 2 amazing Giants ! Congrats @usher and my love @aliciakeys that song is a classic. We don’t do negative vibes on this side we make history."

Prior to his Super Bowl performance,  Usher released his ninth studio album, Coming Home. The project features 20 tracks, including singles "Good Good" with Summer Walker and 21 Savage, "Risk It All" with H.E.R. (from 2023's The Color Purple soundtrack), and "Standing Next To You (Remix)" with Jungkook.

The R&B star announced his Past Present Future Tour this week, which will start in Washington, D.C., and make his way to Brooklyn, Atlanta, Miami, and more over the course of his 24-stop trek. He will also be the first performer at Los Angeles’ Inuit Dome.  The tour will end in Chicago after two nights on Oct. 28 and Oct. 29 in the city's United Center.

Super Bowl LVIII is in the books, so let's look back at one of the biggest draws to the Big Game: The commercials.

In 2024, the Super Bowl commercials offered a wide variety for the millions of viewers who tuned in. Many major films released trailers, including Wicked, Twisters and Deadpool & Wolverine.

As expected, plenty of food/drink/snack brands bought ads during the Super Bowl. Many of them brought the funny, like Dunkin' and Reese's. Others offered fun pop culture moments, like Nerds, M&Ms, and e.l.f cosmetics.

Speaking of pop culture, celebrities were everywhere in the 2024 Super Bowl commercials. There was truly someone for everyone. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin showed up with a mullet in an ad for Kawaski. Meanwhile, Christopher Walken was confronted with hilarious impressions in an ad for BMW. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito reunited for State Farm, and FanDuel honored the late Carl Weathers. Uber Eats had a ton of star power in their ad with Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Jelly Roll, Usher and David and Victoria Beckham. However, Verizon may have had the biggest star moment with Beyoncé in their ad.

Obviously, these ads cost millions to produce, but the cost of the airtime alone was worth millions. According to The Wall Street Journal, the average cost for a 30-second Super Bowl commercial was $7 million. The cost has gone up significantly since 2010. Back then, the average cost for a 30-second spot was $2.6 million. However, the most mind-blowing price WSJ shared was the cost of an ad during the first Super Bowl in 1967. All of those years ago, when the Big Game was broadcast on NBC and CBS, a 30-second ad had a whopping price tag of $42,000.

Without further ado, here is our list of the ten best commercials that aired during Super Bowl LVIII in 2024.

When it comes to the 2024 Super Bowl commercials, you have to start with Verizon. Their surprise spot starred Beyoncé as she tried to break the internet and the Verizon network. While Bey couldn't break Verizon, she broke major news announcing her eighth studio album, Act II. The album drops on March 29, and two preview tracks -- "Texas Hold 'Em" and "16 Carriages" -- are now available. That's one incredible way to announce new music!

The "forget" premise of Uber Eats' Super Bowl ad was really clever. Jennifer Aniston forgetting about David Schwimmer? Jelly Roll forgetting he had a bunch of face tattoos? David and Victoria Beckham being stumped on the name of the girl group she was once in? Very funny, and tons of star power, which is what these ads are all about.

Neighbor? No, "Neighbaaa!" This State Farm ad showed that Arnold Schwarzenegger still has incredible comedic timing. Plus, his chemistry with Danny DeVito is still perfection. This ad makes us want to get to the choppa.

Whoever thought of the concept for this CeraVe ad deserves a major raise. The skincare brand bought ad time during Super Bowl LVIII, and who could blame them with such a funny ad. Michael Cera isn't the first celebrity you'd think of for such a big commercial, but he's absolutely perfect here. Of course, the dermatologists that developed CeraVe's products seem less than enthused.

One word: Wow! Christopher Walken starred in this spot from BMW, and it's proof that nearly everyone has a Walken impression. The Usher cameo was a clever added bonus. Much like the CeraVe add, whoever thought of this ad deserves a major raise.

This ad from Dunkin' was a sequel to their ad from last year's Super Bowl. Unlike most sequels, this ad did not disappoint. Ben Affleck showed up to the recording studio where wife Jennifer Lopez is working, but he's not alone. Ben has Jack Harlow, Tom Brady and Matt Damon with him. Jenny clearly looks unimpressed, and Matt is mortified. Another outstanding ad from Dunkin'!

Reese's didn't have any celebs in their 30-second spot, but they made up for it in sheer weirdness. The physical comedy was out of control. Someone jumped out of a window! An old lady launched herself through a coffee table! Also, we can't wait to try the Caramel Big Cup. It sounds delicious!

T-Mobile held auditions in their Super Bowl ad for their next "Magenta Status" spokesperson, or in the case of Bradley and Gloria Cooper, spokespeople. Not to be outdone, Suits stars Patrick J. Adams and Gabriel Macht also submitted an audition. Other celebs vying for the T-Mobile gig were Jennifer Hudson, Common and Laura Dern. Zach Braff and Donald Faison appeared at the end of the spot a little miffed about even having to audtion since they appeared in T-Mobile's Super Bowl ad last year.

Speaking of Suits, Rick Hoffman and Gina Torres star in this ad along with Judge Judy for e.l.f. Cosmetics. Referring to the iconic television personality as "Judge Beauty" was quite clever. Plus, it's a nice reminder that e.l.f. offers a wide range of great products at great prices. Not to mention, e.l.f. Cosmetics are 100% vegan and cruelty-free. "In e.l.f. we Trust," indeed!

A bald eagle with a mullet! A turtle with a mullet! A grizzly bear with a mullet! "Stone Cold" Steve Austin with a mullet! ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?!