Business Insights/ 21st October 2026 /Cormac Cahill
U2 could earn a significant commercial boost from headlining Netflix’s NFL Thanksgiving Eve halftime show.
Netflix announced that U2 will perform at the NFL’s first-ever Thanksgiving Eve game on Wednesday, 25 November, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
The Green Bay Packers will face the Los Angeles Rams in the primetime matchup, which kicks off at 8pm ET.
The performance comes as U2 celebrates 50 years since forming in Dublin in 1976, providing a global platform for Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr.
However, how much the band will earn directly from the appearance remains unclear.
The NFL traditionally does not pay headline performers a conventional appearance fee for its Super Bowl halftime show, although production costs and associated expenses are covered.
Netflix’s arrangements with U2 may differ, and the financial terms of the Thanksgiving Eve performance have not been disclosed.
The potential commercial benefits could extend well beyond any direct payment.
A performance broadcast to Netflix subscribers in more than 200 countries offers the band an opportunity to reach new audiences and potentially increase music streaming, album sales and demand for future concerts.
U2 has already experienced the exposure that comes with performing at an NFL halftime show. The band headlined Super Bowl XXXVI in February 2002, delivering a tribute to the victims of the September 11 attacks.
The Netflix appearance continues the streaming platform’s growing relationship with NFL entertainment. Beyoncé headlined its Christmas Day halftime show in 2024, while Snoop Dogg performed during last year’s Christmas Gameday.
Netflix co-chief executive Ted Sarandos said U2 would bring “iconic moments audiences remember forever” to the NFL stage.
U2
Names of the victims of the 9/11 attacks scroll up, as U2 performs during the halftime show at Super Bowl XXXVI in the Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana, February 3, 2002. (Photo by M. Caulfield/WireImage)
Netflix’s NFL games in 2026 will be available in more than 200 countries, with broadcasts offered in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese and German.
For U2, the value of the performance could ultimately lie as much in the global exposure as in the fee itself. Until the commercial terms are confirmed, however, the band’s direct earnings remain unknown.