The Netflix docuseries America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders has returned for a third season, once again placing the spotlight on the squad's pursuit of fair compensation. The show, created by Greg Whiteley, follows both newcomers and veterans as they compete for a spot on the 36-member team during the latest NFL season. Mentored by director Kelli Finglass, head choreographer Judy Trammell, and seasoned cheerleaders, the series has drawn attention to the financial realities faced by the performers.
Initial Salary Shock
When the first season aired in 2024, viewers were surprised to learn how little the cheerleaders earned compared to NFL players. This sparked a campaign for better wages, led by veteran cheerleaders, which became a central storyline in the second season. The question remains: did the campaign succeed, and what are they earning now?
Previous Earnings
Before the 2025 season, despite the Dallas Cowboys being valued at over $10 billion, cheerleaders reportedly earned just $15 to $20 per hour for practice and $500 per game. This translated to an annual salary of about $75,000 for those on the squad, according to NBC Boston. However, this was an improvement from earlier years. In 2018, former cheerleader Erica Wilkins took the organization to court, resulting in a 2019 settlement that raised wages from $8 to $12 per hour and game day pay from $200 to $400.
Continued Discontent
During the 2024-25 season, featured in the documentary's second installment, cheerleaders remained dissatisfied. Many held second jobs to make ends meet. Meanwhile, Dallas Cowboys rookies earned around ten times more than veteran cheerleaders, with rookie salaries starting at $750,000 and veterans at $850,000. Quarterback Dak Prescott remains the top earner, with an average salary of $60 million per year under a $240 million four-year deal.
The Fight for Fair Pay
Throughout the 2024-25 season, cheerleaders held meetings to address pay and even considered staging walkouts during games, though this never materialized. Jada McLean, a key figure in securing the new pay deal, told TIME magazine, "We didn't want to let people down who were so excited to see the cheerleaders after supporting us through the first season."
The Reported Pay Rise
In the season two finale, four-year veteran Megan McElaney announced a "life-changing" pay rise of 400 percent, with cheerleaders reportedly earning around $75 per hour. Experienced cheerleaders could now expect approximately $150,000 annually. However, the exact figures were not disclosed in the series, and questions have been raised about the accuracy of the 400 percent increase.
Veteran Reece Weaver clarified on the Unplanned podcast in November that the increase was "more like 300 percent," but added that the team is "still so grateful with the outcome." She noted, "I really don't know all the behind-the-scenes on how it all works out, but what I can say is that it has been such an improvement and a very big increase over what we have seen in the past."
Remaining Issues
The pay rise does not include a flat fee for game-day appearances, though Weaver described this as a "huge improvement." The role remains part-time and still offers no health insurance for cheerleaders.
Season 3 of America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders is now available on Netflix.
