- The Washington Times - Updated: 10:54 a.m. on Tuesday, October 20, 2026

Rapper Jay-Z will be the next performer for the Super Bowl halftime show, according to multiple reports published Tuesday.

The mogul has been involved with the NFL since 2019, as his entertainment company Roc Nation selects the performer for the league’s championship game.

The news was first reported by Puck, but has not been confirmed by Roc Nation or the NFL. The upcoming Super Bowl is scheduled for Feb. 14 at SoFi Stadium in the Los Angeles area.

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Jay-Z and NFL officials re-upped their partnership for $5 million per year in 2024 after well-received performances by Shakira, Jennifer Lopez, The Weeknd, Rihanna and Usher.

The 2025 and 2026 shows featuring Kendrick Lamar and Bad Bunny, respectively, were similarly popular. Lamar’s show was the most-watched halftime performance of all time with 133.5 million viewers, according to Nielsen ratings.

The 2026 performance by Bad Bunny attracted an audience of 128 million on traditional TV — the fourth-highest total for a Super Bowl show. On top of that, millions tuned in to watch the Latin rapper on YouTube, which Nielsen didn’t count.

Jay-Z has a fanbase that can rival Bad Bunny and Lamar, though the 56-year-old from Brooklyn, New York, is as known for his status as a business titan as for his rap career.

He hasn’t released an album since the critically acclaimed “4:44” in 2017. He returned to performing this year to celebrate the 30th anniversary of his debut album, “Reasonable Doubt.” The tour sold out three straight nights at Yankee Stadium, with subsequent stops at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Paris’ Stade de France. The tour ends this weekend, with stops at SoFi Stadium on Friday and Saturday.

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