Black Eyed Peas Weren’t Paid For Super Bowl Gig

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The Black Eyed Peas didn’t receive compensation for their Super Bowl XLV halftime performance, but not because they sucked so badly.

According to Forbes, the NFL traditionally books acts to perform during halftime at Super Bowls for free. However, they didn’t come away completely empty handed. The Black Eyed Peas received production funding for the halftime show and other benefits.

Fergie and the boys also received free travel for band members and for their groupies, meaning a lot of people who don’t have a damn thing to do with putting on the show got to see Super Bowl XLV for free.

Most entertainers recognize the incredible amount of exposure they’ll receive by performing in front of the largest television audience of the year.

And with Nielsen reporting yesterday that Super Bowl XLV was the most watched Super Bowl of all time with 162.9 million total viewers, performers are bringing their acts to people who wouldn’t otherwise see them.

Unfortunately, the Peas’ performance left a lot to be desired.

Easily the best description I’ve heard regarding their brief time on the national stage came from Red Eye’s Andy Levy, who said, “the Black Eyed Peas halftime performance was the beginning of the end for western civilization.”