Photo by Peter Ohs

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It's only August, but it's definitely that time of year again: Super Bowl halftime discussions.

As was the case with Bruno Mars (2014) and Beyoncé (2013), it's typical for information to leak far ahead of the February event. And that's certainly true for three acts reportedly under consideration: Coldplay, Rihanna and Katy Perry.

According to the Wall Street Journal, however, there's one major difference in this year's negotiations. Instead of the usual free gig (performers aren't paid), the NFL has apparently asked that 2015 performers pay to play, something completely unheard of for A-list acts like the aforementioned.

Because acts usually benefit tremendously from the exposure (a record 115.3 million viewers watched Mars' set earlier this year), WSJ is reporting the NFL hopes next year's act will agree to give the organization a cut of their subsequent tour income or some kind of other monetary donation.

The acts in question unsurprisingly didn't welcome a pay-to-play scenario, so it's unclear how the NFL will proceed. An official announcement isn't expected for some time, as Super Bowl XLIX isn't until Feb. 1, 2015.