Pop superstar Katy Perry denied reports that she had paid for the opportunity to perform at the halftime show of Superbowl XLIX, scheduled to take place on February 1st in Glendale, Arizona. In an interview with the Associated Press, Perry said that when she was approached by the NFL, she made it clear early on in negotiations that she would not pony up to perform, even though the Superbowl half-time show is perennially the most-watched concert in the world. The singer said that she insisted on being invited to perform based solely on her merits as a performer.
Several weeks after last year's Superbowl, a spokesperson for the NFL announced that the league was considering a pay-to-play format for future Superbowl half-time performers, noting the post-performance benefits enjoyed by past performers. Then during the summer, the NFL reportedly approached Perry, as well as Rihanna and Coldplay, inquiring about their interest in paying for the honor of performing at the halftime show. The NFL's stance was that past performers have gone on to have lucrative tour success after performing at the Superbowl. While none of the three artists the league approached commented at that time, numerous other artists scoffed at the idea of paying to play when asked in separate interviews. Before Perry was confirmed as this year's halftime performer, she announced in an interview with ESPN's College Game Day that she had turned down the NFL's request for payment, but she was waiting to hear whether she would get the gig, anyway.