Jennifer Lopez-Shakira Super Bowl halftime show is a turning point for the NFL - Yahoo Finance

Pop icons Jennifer Lopez and Shakira are slated to perform at the 2020 Super Bowl halftime show in Miami, Florida on Sunday— the first time two Latina women will headline the monumental event.

Jennifer Lopez and Shakira will headline Super Bowl LIV halftime show

The historic selection represents an important turning point for the NFL, as the league looks to become a more culturally inclusive organization. The NFL took heavy criticism for its handling of former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick and his 2016 “take a knee” movement.

The silent protest prompted several big-name celebrities like Rihanna and Cardi B to boycott the NFL in solidarity with Kaepernick — and the league quickly began to feel the impact in ratings and public opinion.

The NFL was highly criticized for its handling of former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick and his 2016 "take a knee" movement

The 2019 Super Bowl attracted its lowest audience in over a decade, with only 98.2 million viewers tuning in. Critics flocked to Twitter to attack the game’s all white, all male halftime performers — pop group Maroon 5. A viral Change.org petition was even created in an effort to remove the band from the show altogether.

But Sunday night could be a big step in fixing the NFL’s battered image: The first Super Bowl halftime show was co-produced in partnership with rapper turned billionaire businessman Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Jay Z at the Roc Nation and NFL Partnership Announcement at Roc Nation on August 14, 2019 in New York City

The new alliance, announced back in August, represents a conscious effort by the NFL to improve its reputation and revamp its social injustice initiative. Jay-Z and his entertainment media company Roc Nation will serve as the league's “live music entertainment strategist” moving forward.

While the pairing may seem odd, Jay-Z — a staunch Kaepernick supporter and vocal critic of the NFL in the past — has defended his new role to help the league grow and improve from the inside out.

A boost from streaming

The NFL famously doesn’t pay its Super Bowl halftime performers, but the post-performance surge many of these artists experience is well worth the lack of a paycheck.

Last year, Maroon 5 saw a sales spike of nearly 500% following the group’s Super Bowl LIII performance, according to Nielsen.

Similarly, Justin Timberlake’s same-day music sales jumped 534% after his 2018 show, while Lady Gaga’s digital catalogue surged above 1000% the year prior.

Alexandra Canal is a Producer at Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter @alliecanal8193

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https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMifGh0dHBzOi8vZmluYW5jZS55YWhvby5jb20vbmV3cy9qZW5uaWZlci1sb3Blei1zaGFraXJhLXN1cGVyLWJvd2wtaGFsZnRpbWUtc2hvdy1hbi1pbXBvcnRhbnQtbmZsLXR1cm5pbmctcG9pbnQtMTQzNjQ4NTkwLmh0bWzSAYQBaHR0cHM6Ly9maW5hbmNlLnlhaG9vLmNvbS9hbXBodG1sL25ld3MvamVubmlmZXItbG9wZXotc2hha2lyYS1zdXBlci1ib3dsLWhhbGZ0aW1lLXNob3ctYW4taW1wb3J0YW50LW5mbC10dXJuaW5nLXBvaW50LTE0MzY0ODU5MC5odG1s?oc=5

2020-02-02 14:36:00Z
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