The NFL’s partnership with Jay-Z and Roc Nation faces strain after months of confusion over the Super Bowl Halftime Show. Reports claim Jay-Z never formally offered Taylor Swift the performance despite rumors naming her the frontrunner.
NFL feels misled and humiliated after Taylor Swift Super Bowl fiasco
Rob Shuter’s #ShuterScoop reports that the NFL feels “furious” at Jay-Z and Roc Nation after discovering that Taylor Swift never received a formal halftime show offer. One source stated, “Everyone inside the NFL thought Taylor was officially offered the gig. But there was never a real offer — just some light chatter.” Another insider said, “They look like amateurs … The rumor ran wild, and Jay let it.”
League officials now feel misled and humiliated. The NFL believed Swift was the frontrunner, but later learned Jay-Z “had Bad Bunny in mind all along” and remained “polite with Taylor’s team but never serious.” A separate source claimed the league, “The rumor ran wild, and Jay let it.”
Swift addressed the rumors on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, saying, “Jay-Z has always been very good to me. Our teams are very close. They sometimes will call and say, ‘How does she feel about?’ and that’s not like an official offer or, like, an official conference room conversation.” She dismissed talk about performance footage rights, explaining, “We’re always able to tell him the truth … I am in love with a guy who does that sport.”
Swift clarified that her decision did not involve fiancé Travis Kelce, adding, “This has nothing to do with Travis — he would love for me to do it. I’m just too locked in.” The NFL and Roc Nation, which co-produce the halftime show, have not commented on the issue. Officials, however, confirmed that Bad Bunny will headline the 2026 performance.
The ongoing dispute has placed the NFL’s internal communication and public image under close examination.
