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Entrepreneur
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Entrepreneur
Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders Getting Major Pay Raise
The new season of Netflix's "America's Sweethearts" reveals a big score for members of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders squad. The second season of the Netflix series "America's Sweethearts," which chronicles the lives of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, reveals a pretty big touchdown for members of the storied squad: They will be receiving a 400% pay increase this coming season. Per the New York Times, this marks the end of a long battle for higher wages that began in 2018 when former cheerleader Erica Wilkins sued the team for unfair pay. In her suit, which was settled out of court in 2019, she stated that cheerleaders were paid approximately $7 per hour with no overtime pay and got a flat rate of $200 per game — less than the team's mascot. The suit read in part: "Plaintiff and other cheerleader employees of [the Dallas Cowboys], who were all female... are/were paid at a rate less than [team] mascot, 'Rowdy,' who, at all times relevant, was male." Related: Mark Cuban and Dallas Cowboys' Micah Parsons on Success Speaking to the New York Times, former cheerleader Jada McLean explained that the cheerleader pay scale is based on experience, and said that she made $15 an hour and $500 for each appearance in 2024. With the new increased wages, she said veteran cheerleaders could now be making more than $75 an hour. She noted that the team does not provide health insurance, but has access to a team doctor and a physical therapist. As many viewers of the top ten-ranked Netflix show know, cheerleading is basically a high-profile side hustle, and many of the squad members hold down full-time day jobs. Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders squad director Kelli Finglass described the changes as "60-plus years long overdue." Related: Her Postpartum-Inspired Side Hustle Hit $30,000 Revenue in 2 Months — Now It's Making About $500,000 a Year: 'I Truly Love Everything About It'
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Just Got A Massive Raise. Here's How Much They Make In 2025.
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." It's easy to fall in love with the Netflix's hit docuseries, America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. After all, these women work hard and make it clear they're high-level athletes, pushing themselves to their limits just to make the team and compete throughout the season. But season 1 of the series also highlighted how little the cheerleaders are compensated for their hard work. In fact, their low salaries forced many of the women to get other jobs just to pay the bills. But now, that's all changing. In the brand new second season of the show, viewers learn that the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders will receive a pay raise of about 400 percent for the 2025 season. The pay increase follows years of criticism about how little these women make, despite their long hours on the job. One former cheerleader, Erica Wilkins, even sued the squad in 2018, alleging unfair pay and claiming that she made about $7 per hour with no overtime pay and a flat rate of $200 per game. In total, that salary ended up being less than the yearly salary of the team's mascot, Rowdy. While that case was settled out of court in 2019, the squad's salaries have stayed low. But how much did the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders get paid before this hefty bump, and what will they make now? Here's everything to know about their salaries. NFL cheerleaders typically make around $150 per game, ESPN reported in 2017, making their yearly salaries about $22,500 per year, on average. The current federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, which adds up to a yearly salary of $15,080. In comparison, NFL water boys usually make $53,000 per year and NFL mascots make $25,000 per season, NBC Sports Boston wrote in 2022. There are ways to earn more: Cheerleaders also receive anywhere from $50 to $75 for public appearances, according to the outlet. The Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders are actually one of the highest-paid squads. They previously earned about $15-20 per hour, or $500 per game. This made their yearly salary about $75,000, per NBC Sports Boston. "I would say I'm making, like, a substitute teacher [salary]," DCC alumna Kat Puryear said in a confessional on season one of the show. "I would say I'm making, like, Chick-fil-A worker that works full-time." Many of these women have other jobs, too. On season one, we see that first group leader Kelcey Wetterberg is a pediatric registered nurse, while Reece Allman worked at a flower shop. After the first season came out, America's Sweethearts director Greg Whiteley said that he "never" got a clear answer on how much a DCC made. "I think that's because it varies depending on how senior you are in the group," he told Glamour. "You may even get paid more if you're a group leader, though that was never clear to me." He did confirm that the DCC were paid more than other NFL cheerleaders. "As far as NFL cheerleaders go, I can say this with a high degree of confidence: the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders are on the highest end of that pay scale," he said. "I've heard horror stories of what a typical NFL cheerleader makes, but the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders fall into a new category. None of them are rich. None of them are getting paid a ton, but it isn't the same dearth of payment that I think other NFL cheerleaders have to experience." If the DCC previously made about $75,000 per year, how much would their leader, director Kelli Finglass, have made in comparison? While there isn't a lot out there about her exact salary, she has a net worth of $1.5 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. That's still not clear. While the seventh episode of the season 2 notes that the women will receive a big pay boost, there are still no hard and fast numbers on what they used to make or how much they'll make in the future. If they previously made about $75,000 a year, and we're being told there's a 400 percent pay increase, that means their salaries will likely jump to about $300,000 annually—a massive change. Unfortunately, this isn't a new issue. Some NFL cheerleaders made as little as $5 per hour in 2014, according to PBS. In America's Sweethearts, archival footage shows that the DCC once made as little as $15 per game. "I think my game-day fee was $35, and we basically donated that back," Tina Kalina, who cheered for the DCC in 1989, said in America's Sweethearts. "These millennials, X-Gen—whatever they're called—they do look at it as a job, where as us old-timers look at it as more of a privilege." These low salaries are because NFL cheerleaders are independent contractors, not salaried workers, meaning teams are not necessarily required to pay the cheerleaders salaries in line with state or federal minimum wages, according to NBC Sports Boston. Charlotte Jones, Dallas Cowboys chief brand officer and daughter of the team's owner Jerry Jones, told Netflix cameras during season 1 that the cheerleaders "don't come here for the money." "They have a passion for dance. There are not a lot of opportunities in the field of dance to get to perform at an elite level," she said. "It is about being part of something bigger than themselves." Many NFL cheerleaders have turned to the legal system to fight for better salaries. In 2014, former Oakland Raiders cheerleader Lacy Thibodeaux-Fields filed the first class-action lawsuit against the NFL regarding cheerleaders' compensation, alleging wage theft and gender discrimination, per The Guardian. More lawsuits followed, including one from a Buffalo Bills cheerleader who claimed she received just $105 for an entire season after paying more than $600 for her uniform. By the fall of 2020, 10 of the NFL's 32 teams had been sued for wage theft, harassment, unsafe working conditions or discrimination, the outlet writes. Richard Dalrymple, former public relations head of the Dallas Cowboys, was accused of secretly filming cheerleaders in their dressing room in 2015. A fan also accused Dalrymple of taking lewd photos of Charlotte Jones, per Bleacher Report. The team settled the case for $2.4 million in 2022, with around $400,000 going to each of the four accusing cheerleaders, according to NBC News. Dalrymple retired in February 2022. Many of those lawsuits have been settled privately, per The Guardian. In the years since, many NFL cheerleading squads have made changes, including switching up their uniforms, adding men to their rosters, or even getting rid of the teams altogether. It's not clear at this point whether the new salary changes will cause other professional cheerleading squads to raise their salaries as well. The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders are known for being one of the best and most well-known squads out there, and what they do isn't necessarily reflected in other organizations. Still, some other organizations may raise their rates in order to remain competitive. You Might Also Like Jennifer Garner Swears By This Retinol Eye Cream These New Kicks Will Help You Smash Your Cross-Training Goals
Time of India
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders confirm 400% pay raise in Netflix's America's Sweethearts — here's what they're earning now
The Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders, one of the NFL's most iconic squads, are receiving a substantial pay increase following the release of the Netflix docuseries America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. As revealed during Season 2, which premiered on June 18, 2025, squad members are now earning 400% more than in previous seasons, marking one of the most significant wage shifts in the team's history. What the Netflix series America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders revealed In America's Sweethearts, the cheerleaders gave an unfiltered look at their lives, highlighting both the physical demands of the job and the financial realities many faced behind the scenes. While the team's image has long been associated with glamour and prestige, the series made it clear that compensation hadn't kept pace. During the second season, cheerleader Megan McElaney, a four-year veteran, confirmed the new raise on camera. 'Our efforts were heard, and they wanted to give us a raise,' she said. 'And we ended up getting a 400% increase, which is, like, life-changing.' Her statement came after months of internal discussions between team leadership and returning squad members, who pushed for more equitable compensation as the franchise continued to grow in visibility and revenue. A history of underpayment Calls for fairer wages are not new. In 2019, the Cowboys settled a lawsuit filed by former cheerleader Erica Wilkins, who alleged she was making as little as $7 per hour, with no overtime pay and $200 per game. That legal action resulted in the team doubling game-day pay from $200 to $400, but base hourly wages remained low—around $15 an hour as recently as 2024. The Netflix docuseries helped reignite public and internal attention to these concerns, giving current members a national platform to voice the need for updated pay standards. What the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders make now Following the 400% increase, current Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders are earning: $75 or more per hour for rehearsals, appearances, and related duties Up to $2,000 per game day, compared to $500 before the raise Weekly earnings around $1,600, depending on scheduling and event participation While the pay increase marks a dramatic improvement, the cheerleaders remain classified as part-time employees, which means they do not receive health insurance or long-term employment benefits. However, they continue to have access to the Cowboys' medical staff during the season. Why this matters The Dallas Cowboys are consistently ranked as the most valuable sports franchise in the world, with a current estimated valuation exceeding $10 billion. For years, many have argued that the cheerleaders, integral to the team's brand identity and media presence, were being underpaid despite their contributions. With America's Sweethearts shining a spotlight on these issues, the newly announced raise is being viewed not only as a win for the current team but as a pivotal moment for cheerleaders across the NFL.
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Finally Earn a Livable Wage After 400 Percent Raise
Break out your pom-poms and get ready to celebrate: the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders are finally getting a much-deserved raise. The team revealed the news on the second season of their Netflix documentary series America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. According to Megan McElaney, a fourth-year veteran on the team, the cheerleaders are getting a 'life-changing' 400 percent pay raise for the 2025 season. Advertisement This is a huge win for the cheerleaders, who have been fighting for better fair pay since former cheerleader Erica Wilkins sued the team back in 2018, alleging that she made less than the team's mascot for her work. The case was settled a year later, resulting in an increase of wages from $8 to $12 and the game day rate from $200 to $400. When Season 1 of the series premiered back in 2024, the world was shocked to learn that the cheerleaders were barely making minimum wage. During the show, former Dallas Cowboy cheerleader Kat Puryear compared their wages to a 'substitute teacher' or a 'Chick-Fil-A' worker that's full time.' The revelation about the cheerleaders' unfair salaries sparked outrage online, with many people pointing out the irony that players make millions of dollars a year, while the cheerleaders are essentially told to be 'grateful' for minimum wage. In an interview with the New York Times, former cheerleader Jada McLean provided more details about the raise. In 2024, McLean claims she made around $15 dollars an hour and $500 per game. With the raise, cheerleaders can now make $75 per hour or more, depending on the number of years spent on the team. Advertisement People on social media celebrated the win, reiterating that the raise was 'long overdue.' 'About time. They deserve it and had been exploited for far too long,' an X user commented. Another user was happy for the squad, but still thought they deserve more. 'Hope they are getting paid better. I see veterans now get $75 per hour. But honestly should be more given how much they make for that company. Also, tbh, they are the talent because who are even the cowboys at this point without their cheerleaders,' they wrote. It's a good day for the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. Maybe they should change their nickname to America's Fairly Paid Sweethearts.
New York Times
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Get a 400 Percent Pay Raise
In what amounts to the biggest reveal of the second season of the Netflix docuseries 'America's Sweethearts,' the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders will receive a pay raise of roughly 400 percent for the 2025 season. It is a huge increase in a profession known for its low wages, and one that a former cheerleader for the team, Jada McLean, described in an interview with The New York Times as 'a drastic change' that could give the cheerleaders more financial security. The pay bump is announced in Episode 7 of the show's second season, which began streaming on Wednesday. It caps a yearslong effort for higher pay that drew a great deal of attention in 2018 when the former cheerleader Erica Wilkins sued the team for unfair pay. She claimed in her lawsuit that she received roughly $7 per hour with no overtime pay and a flat rate of $200 per game, which, in total, ended up being less than the annual pay for the team's mascot, Rowdy. Her case was settled out of court in 2019 and, since then, hourly wages for the squad remained low. Missing from the announcement of the raise in the show were any specifics of what the cheerleaders were making previously, or how much they would be paid under their new deal. But in a rare instance of a Cowboys cheerleader, past or present, discussing her compensation, Ms. McLean told The Times that in 2024, her fifth year with the squad, she had made $15 an hour and $500 for each appearance, and that compensation varies based on experience. With the increased wages, she said veteran cheerleaders could now be making more than $75 an hour. The new contract also changes the structure around pay for game day and other appearances, though Ms. McLean said it still does not provide health insurance. In an emailed statement, the franchise would not confirm the new wages or if the new rates apply to rookies on the team as well. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
