Christmas Day football has evolved into a prime-time spectacle, where the NFL now blends high-stakes matchups with headline-grabbing entertainment. In 2025, that fusion reaches a new level with Snoop Dogg taking center stage at halftime.
As Netflix continues to reshape how fans experience holiday games, the spotlight isn’t only on the Vikings and Lions. Big productions, global audiences and major artists raise an inevitable question about what goes on behind the scenes.
Halftime shows have long walked a line between exposure and compensation. With the rapper’s name attached to one of the NFL’s most visible stages of the season, attention turns to how these performances are valued.
Is Snoop Dogg being paid for the Vikings vs. Lions halftime performance?
When news broke that Snoop Dogg would headline the halftime performance of the Detroit Lions vs. Minnesota Vikings Christmas Day game, part of Netflix’s NFL Christmas Gameday, fans wondered not just who would be on stage but whether the legendary rapper was earning a payday for it.
Snoop Dogg in 2025 (Source: Daniel Pockett/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)
Snoop’s Holiday Halftime Party, set for December 25 and streaming live on Netflix, promises festive hits and a lineup of exciting guests, including Lainey Wilson and the voices behind KPop Demon Hunters.
Historically, however, big-stage NFL halftime performances, including the most famous ones at the Super Bowl, don’t come with a traditional performance fee from the league itself.
Super Bowl acts like Kendrick Lamar, Beyonce and others have historically performed without direct payment from the NFL, with costs covered instead by the league’s production budget and travel expenses.
While Netflix’s Christmas Gameday is a newer spectacle unconnected to the traditional Super Bowl model, there’s no official confirmation that Snoop’s deal includes a direct paycheck. Even in major music-sport collaborations, artists often treat the platform as a promotional stage rather than a direct income source.
