WASHINGTON — Competing in the Super Bowl also comes with a nice payday for NFL players.
While every person in the league dreams of winning the Vince Lombardi trophy, just playing in the championship comes with that guaranteed bonus paycheck. But there’s a six-figure amount on the line for those who win.
Even for players who didn’t make the Super Bowl, they could earn tens of thousands of dollars on top of their salary depending on how far their team made it in the playoffs.
Do players get paid extra for the Super Bowl?
How much an NFL player gets paid for playing in the Super Bowl depends on whether their team wins or not. But it doesn’t matter whether the Kansas City Chiefs or Philadelphia Eagles are the winners, their players will still get paid tens of thousands of dollars.
Based on the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement, players on the winning team in Super Bowl 59 will get $171,000 each. Players on the losing team will get $96,000. That’s $7,000 more than last year’s Super Bowl bonus.
Next year, players on the losing team will also make six-figures for the first time.
How much do NFL players make in the playoffs?
NFL players get more money the further they advance into the playoffs. Here’s a breakdown of how much they get for each round:
- Wild Card: $54,500 (Divisional Winner)
- Divisional Round: $54,500
- Conference Championship: $77,000
- Super Bowl losing team: $96,000
- Super Bowl winning team: $171,000
How much do halftime show performers get paid?
While the Super Bowl is arguably one of the biggest performances possible for artists, many people are surprised to learn the halftime show acts don’t get paid by the NFL.
The league instead handles production costs and expenses for performers, but the exposure to hundreds of millions of people worldwide during one of the most-watched events of the year is considered priceless.
Halftime show performers typically see a huge uptick in music sales and streaming as well.
How much did players get for winning the first Super Bowl?
In the first Super Bowl back in 1967, players on the winning team received $15,000 and the losing team got $7,500. Technically the winning prize has increased 1,040% but that doesn’t account for inflation.
That $15,000 prize in 1967 would have the same buying power as nearly $144,000 today, according to a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics inflation calculator.
How much players got paid in every Super Bowl through the years
Winner-Loser
2025: $171,000-$96,000
2024: $164,000-$89,000
2023: $157,000-$82,000
2022: $150,000-$75,000
2021: $130,000-$65,000
2020: $124,000-$62,000
2019: $118,000-$59,000
2018: $112,000-$56,000
2017: $107,000-$53,000
2016: $102,000-$51,000
2015: $97,000-$49,000
2014: $92,000-$46,000
2013: $88,000-$44,000
2012: $88,000-$44,000
2011: $83,000-$42,000
2010: $83,000-$42,000
2009: $78,000-$40,000
2008: $78,000-$40,000
2007: $78,000-$40,000
2006: $73,000-$38,000
2005: $68,000-$36,500
2004: $68,000-$36,500
2003: $63,000-$35,000
2002: $63,000-$34,500
2001: $58,000-$34,500
2000:$58,000-$33,000
1999: $53,000-$32,500
1998: $48,000-$29,000
1997: $48,000-$29,000
1996: $42,000-$27,000
1995: $42,000-$26,000
1994: $38,000-$23,500
1993: $36,000-$18,000
1992: $36,000-$18,000
1991: $36,000-$18,000
1990: $36,000-$18,000
1989: $36,000-$18,000
1988: $36,000-$18,000
1987: $36,000-$18,000
1986: $36,000-$18,000
1985: $36,000-$18,000
1984: $36,000-$18,000
1983: 36,000-$18,000
1982: $18,000-$9,000
1981: $18,000-$9,000
1980: $18,000-$9,000
1979: $18,000-$9,000
1978: $18,000-$9,000
1977: $15,000-$7,500
1976: $15,000-$7,500
1975: $15,000-$7,500
1974: $15,000-$7,500
1973: $15,000-$7,500
1972: $15,000-$7,500
1971: $15,000-$7,500
1970: $15,000-$7,500
1969: $15,000-$7,500
1968: $15,000-$7,500
1967: $15,000-$7,500