NFL Gets 'Chilly Responses' From Rihanna and Coldplay's Representatives on Pay to Play Policy For Super Bowl 2015

The National Football League (NFL) is getting "chilly responses" from Rihanna, Katy Perry and Coldplay's representatives when it asked them to pay up for their performances at next year's Super Bowl show in February 2015. Many websites are also of the opinion that the NFL is changing the whole cultural event concept of Super Bowl show and reducing it to merely an advertisement where anyone can come, pay and perform.

Forbes is of the opinion that the new policy of pay to play at the Super Bowl will "ruin" the show as it will make the performances an act of advertisement rather than a cultural act "The act of accepting payment from the artist transforms the performance into an ad for Coldplay, Rihanna, or Katy Perry. The NFL is no longer selecting the act, the act is selecting the NFL. Whomever is on the stage may as well be a dancing box of detergent," writes Will Burns from Forbes.com in an exclusive report.

After the Olympics and Soccer ceremonies, Super Bowl Halftime show is unarguably the most watched show on television. The NFL believes that it deserves to capitalise from it, The Wall Street Journal is reporting. The newspaper writes that NFL is of the opinion that performing at the Super Bowl also gives a sudden rise in the artists' incomes.

This year's performer Bruno Mars, who appeared alongside Red Hot Chili Peppers, announced his own tour the very next day after he performed at the Super Bowl show. His album "Unorthodox Jukebox" also reportedly saw a surge in sales post his Super Bowl show, reveals smh.com.au.

NFL representatives have asked the nominated artists if "they would make some other type of financial contribution, in exchange for the halftime gig." The Journal also notes that NFL got "chilly responses from the candidates representatives" when they came to know about the new pay to play policy.

Though NFL does not pay money to the artists to perform at the Super Bowl show but it does pay for their travel and other expenses. This year's Super Bowl performance drew an estimated 115 million people. Bruno Mars and The Red Hot Chili Peppers performed at halftime of Super Bowl 48.