NFL Wants $16 Million From MIA For Giving Super Bowl Viewers The Finger

The NFL is now seeking an extra $15.1 million in restitution from singer MIA for her 2012 Super Bowl XLVI performance where she gave the finger on camera.

Since the Super Bowl, the NFL has spent almost two years in arbitration with the British singer over an obscene gesture made during Madonna’s halftime show, seeking $1.5 million from the singer for breaking her performance contract. Now, the Hollywood Reporter says the NFL is also seeking $15.1 million more for the value of public exposure, which is determined by how much advertisers would have paid for ads during that two minute performance. That year’s halftime show was watched in nearly 167 million TV households.

The singer said the new claim “lacks any basis in law, fact, or logic…continued pursuit of this proceeding is transparently an exercise by the NFL intended solely to bully and make an example of Respondents for daring to challenge NFL,” in response papers filed on Friday. The papers cite other provocative Super Bowl performances done by stars like Michael Jackson, and Prince.

The papers also point out that NBC did not have the ‘5 second delay’ system in place during the performance.

[Hollywood Reporter]