The Super Bowl halftime show is one of the most lucrative gigs in the music industry
The Super Bowl halftime show for artists can be one of the most lucrative opportunities in their careers. The money from this show comes indirectly however. The NFL doesn't pay artists a fee to perform the show, they simply give them a budget to cover the production costs of the show. In this case the Weeknd felt the budget the NFL gave him and his team to execute the show was not enough for his vision, so he put an additional $7m to cover the rest of the production of the show.
You might wonder why doesn't the artist get paid for this show? The reason is because the NFL has leverage in relation to the number of viewers who watch the Super Bowl every year. The opportunity for an artist to gain the marketing and exposure this brings sky rockets all other areas of their career. This and the creative logic behind The Weeknd's vision is the reason for the additional capital. It is an investment into the value of the show it delivers for the millions of viewers. Which increases The Weeknd's ticket sales, merchandise, brand, and royalty revenue.
Acts like Justin Timberlake, Jennifer Lopez, and Maroon 5 have all seen massive success after their halftime performances. Forbes reports that Maroon 5’s per-city average gross jumped from $200,000 to $1.7m after the band’s Super Bowl show in 2019. Justin Timberlakes music sales increased by 534%, and Jennifer Lopez gained 2 million new followers on instagram alone.
Conclusion
Look at the underlying value from the decisions you make in your career. Although the NFL doesn't "pay" the artist, the underlying value this show brings is a once in a lifetime opportunity. These artists realize the indirect monetary gains and fan base exposure this brings. When you hold the viewers attention and in large amounts, you have leverage on people who want to grow their brand. Both parties win in this situation. The NFL covers production costs and doesn't have to fork over performance rates from the top artists in the world, and the artist gets exposure to hundreds of millions of new possible fans.