NFL Restricted Beyoncé from Performing at Christmas Halftime Show?
They allegedly said, "She's not a good artist."
Published Nov. 28, 2024
A viral rumor that the National Football League barred singer Beyoncé from performing at the halftime show on Christmas spread widely in late November 2024.A Facebook post from SpaceX Fanclub said the league thought she was "not a good artist. '
(Facebook user SpaceX Fanclub)
The page also shared a link to an article on esspots.com, which read :
In a move that has baffled fans and ignited a firestorm of criticism, the NFL has reportedly blocked Beyoncé from performing at their highly anticipated Christmas Day halftime show, citing the shocking reason that "she's not a good artist." The announcement, leaked through an anonymous source at league headquarters, has left the Beyhive buzzing with fury and the public questioning if the NFL even knows who Beyoncé is.
Some readers seemed to interpret the rumor as a factual recounting of real-life events, with one commenter writing , "Yahoo now I can watch the game!"
A similar rumor was shared in an article on SpaceXMania , which read:
The announcement has sparked outrage, confusion, and even laughter, as Beyoncé's staggering 99 Grammy nominations and record-breaking success seem to stand in stark contrast to the NFL's audacious statement.
NFL spokesperson Roger Tonedown attempted to clarify the league's position during a press conference that has already become a meme-worthy disaster. "We respect Beyoncé's contributions to the music industry," he began hesitantly, "but we've determined that her artistic style doesn't align with the values of the NFL halftime experience."
The above claims were not true. SpaceX Fanclub and esspots.com - a Facebook page and affiliated website - describes their output as being humorous or satirical in nature. SpaceX Fanclub's Facebook page introduction states: "We post SATIRE, nothing on this page is real." The Facebook post is also clearly labeled as "Satire." Both are part of the SpaceXMania network of satire and parody
Esspots.com's disclaimer stated:
Welcome to Esspots.com, a website that specializes in satire, parody, and humor. Before you proceed to read our content, we would like to emphasize that nothing on this website is real. All of the articles, stories, and commentary found on Esspots.com are entirely fictitious and created for the purpose of entertainment only.
Esspots.com has a history of making up stories for shares and comments.
Similarly, SpaceXMania's " About Us " page states:
Welcome to our website, owned and operated by Funky Productions LLC. We are a team of writers and editors based in New York, USA. Our mission? To bring you the freshest fake news, some sassy analysis, and a good dose of satire, all rolled into one crazy concoction that orbits around Elon Musk and everything that's lighting up the viral / trending charts.
In reality, Beyoncé will be performing at the halftime of the Ravens-Texans Christmas game, according to an NFL announcement on Nov. 18, 2024. The singer has performed at two halftime shows in the past, including one where she was the headlining act.
Snopes has previously covered false claims of Beyoncé boycotting states that backed US President-elect Donald Trump after the 2024 presidential election. Snopes also covered satirical claims of the singer performing her country music to empty stadiums.
For background, here is why we alert readers to rumors created by sources that call their output humorous or satirical.