The confirmation came during the Cowboys-Eagles Monday Night Football broadcast, with a teaser showing Jay-Z surrounded by goats under the tagline “Goat’s out of the bag.” In a statement, Jay-Z said: “From ‘Reasonable Doubt’ to standing on the Super Bowl half-time stage, this has been a journey. Thirty years of music, work, and culture on the world’s biggest stage. This run continues to be a dream come true.”
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said he had one request when the league first reached its agreement with Roc Nation: that Jay-Z take the stage himself “whenever the moment felt right to him.” At the time the partnership began in 2019, Jay-Z said he had told Goodell: “If this is about me performing at the Super Bowl, then we can just end this conversation now.”
Roc Nation has partnered with the NFL since 2019 to advise on and help produce the league’s entertainment, and will executive produce next year’s show, with Hamish Hamilton directing. The announcement hinted at the possibility of Beyoncé appearing as a special guest, her first halftime appearance since 2016, and mentioned celebrities who joined Jay-Z on his recent 30th anniversary tour for “Reasonable Doubt,” his 1996 debut album. Those names included Blue Ivy Carter, John Legend, DJ Khaled, Too $hort, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, with Beyoncé, Rihanna, Eminem and Nas appearing at earlier stops.
Jay-Z, born Shawn Carter, has won 25 Grammy Awards and received 89 nominations, the second-most in history behind Beyoncé. He was the first rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and joined the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2021. The show follows Bad Bunny’s February performance, which won a record seven Emmys, and Kendrick Lamar’s 2025 show, which was the most-watched halftime show in history.