NFL’s insider blames “music entertainment strategist” JAY-Z for allegedly not officially inviting Taylor Swift to perform at the Super Bowl

Recent reports indicate that the NFL is “furious” and believes it was misled by Jay-Z and Roc Nation about the possibility of Taylor Swift performing at the Super Bowl halftime show.

After Jay-Z & Roc Nation chose Bad Bunny for the ‘2026 Super Bowl Halftime Show’, recent reports surfaced that NFL insiders were upset with this decision, as they preferred Taylor Swift.

NFL’s partnership with Jay-Z and Roc Nation is experiencing tension following months of uncertainty regarding the Super Bowl Halftime Show.

Since 2019, Jay-Z’s company, Roc Nation, has served as the NFL’s “live music entertainment strategist.” In this capacity, he provides guidance to the league on live music events, such as the Super Bowl halftime show, and also offers consultation on social justice initiatives through the “Inspire Change” campaign.

While it was rumored that Taylor Swift was in talks to perform at the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show with Jay-Z's Roc Nation, she has confirmed there was never a formal offer. The halftime show has instead been announced to feature Bad Bunny.

According to Yahoo Entertainment, Jay-Z did not formally extend the performance offer to Taylor Swift, despite rumors indicating she was the top contender.

The league believes Taylor Swift allegedly was never formally offered the gig, despite weeks of rumors suggesting Swift was the frontrunner. This confusion has reportedly left NFL executives feeling misled and humiliated, as the situation was handled with “light chatter” rather than a formal proposal.

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In the early October 2025 episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Swift discussed the rumors and provided clarification on the matter. 

Taylor Swift confirmed that Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, the company producing the halftime show, had contacted her team to assess her interest in performing.

Swift clarified that these were informal discussions and not an “official offer or a formal meeting”.

She mentioned that she shares a very close relationship with Jay-Z, who has “always been very good to me.”

“No, no. Here’s the thing,” Taylor said when confirming the speculation was false. “Jay-Z has always been very good to me. Our teams are really close. They sometimes will call and say, ‘How does she feel about [this]?’ That’s not like an official offer. … We’re always able to tell him the truth which is that I am in love with a guy who does that sport on that actual field. That is violent chess. That is gladiators without swords. That is dangerous. The whole season, I am locked in on what that man is doing on the field.”

Swift continued, “Can you imagine if he’s out there every single week putting his life on the line doing this very dangerous, very high-pressure, high-intensity sport and I’m like, ‘I wonder what my [choreography] should be?’ … This is nothing to do with Travis. He would love for me to do it. I’m just too locked in.”

The Travis Kelce' Kansas City Chiefs player (and three-time Super Bowl champion). In August, the couple announced their engagement, with Taylor playfully writing in an Instagram post, “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married.”

Bad Bunny is the next to perform at the Super Bowl, having recently shared that he got the official confirmation from Jay while “in the middle of a workout.”