For years, Jay-Z has been the man deciding who gets the biggest stage in music. Now, according to a new report, he has decided the next act should be him.

On Tuesday, October 20, Dave Brooks of Puck reported that Jay-Z will headline the Super Bowl LXI halftime show, according to sources. The report was quickly picked up by Sports Business Journal and NBC Sports’ Pro Football Talk. Neither the NFL nor Roc Nation has formally announced the booking yet, so for now it remains a report rather than an official confirmation.

Why this would be a big moment

Jay-Z’s company, Roc Nation, has curated and produced the halftime show under a deal with the NFL that began in 2019 and was renewed in 2024. Sports Business Journal, citing the Puck report, describes the arrangement as worth $5 million a year and calls a Jay-Z performance the “natural next step” in that partnership.

In other words, the producer who has shaped the show’s lineup for years would finally step in front of the cameras himself. Pro Football Talk summed it up with a cheeky headline: Jay-Z selects Jay-Z.

The next Super Bowl will be played at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, home of the Rams and Chargers.

Who else was in the mix

According to the report, Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus were also considered. Brooks wrote that a Jay-Z pick had “long felt inevitable,” and that he feels like more of a consensus choice than last year’s performer, Bad Bunny, thanks to a deep catalog that Gen X and millennial fans know by heart.

Timing that lines up with a big year

The report points out that the timing fits. Jay-Z has been playing stadiums across North America while celebrating two milestones: the 30th anniversary of his debut album, Reasonable Doubt, and the 25th anniversary of The Blueprint.

One of the biggest moments of that run, per the report, came last month in London, where he reunited the Fugees during two sold-out shows at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. That is exactly the kind of surprise that tends to make a halftime show go viral, and the report suggests a Jay-Z show would lean on his famous friends for cameos.

An announcement could come this weekend

Pro Football Talk noted that for each of the past two Super Bowls, the NFL announced its halftime performer in September. With late October here and no announcement yet, the report has filled the gap.

According to Brooks, Jay-Z could make it official this weekend, when he plays the first of two nearly sold-out shows at SoFi Stadium, the very venue that will host the Super Bowl. ESPN and ABC are set to televise the game, so a coordinated splash would not be a surprise.

Meanwhile: U2 takes Thanksgiving Eve

The NFL’s entertainment calendar is filling up beyond February, too. Netflix has announced that U2 will headline the halftime show of the NFL’s first Thanksgiving Eve game, a Rams vs. Packers matchup at SoFi Stadium, per Sports Business Journal. That show will be produced by Jesse Collins Entertainment.

It would be a return to the football spotlight for the band, which played the Super Bowl XXXVI halftime show in February 2002.

What to watch for

Until there is an official announcement, treat the Jay-Z news as a strong report rather than a done deal. The things to watch:

  • Whether Jay-Z or the NFL confirms the booking at his SoFi Stadium shows this weekend
  • Any hints about guest performers
  • How ESPN and ABC choose to promote the show

The takeaway

If the report holds up, Super Bowl LXI will feature the rare sight of the halftime show’s producer becoming its headliner. With a catalog spanning three decades and a talent for big guest moments, Jay-Z would bring plenty of firepower to the SoFi stage. Fans will not have to wait long to find out if it is real.

Image: Aerial view of SoFi Stadium (July 2022) by Benoît Prieur via Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0