The Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders have been massively underpaid for years. After unsuccessful attempts and lawsuits, they are now receiving a hefty pay rise after years of delay.

The Dallas Cowboys have been falling short of expectations for years. But even off the field, owner Jerry Jones’ team continues to make headlines.

Last season, “America’s Team” did not exactly show itself from its generous side – and we’re not talking about the salaries of its NFL stars.

The Cowboys are said to have paid some of their cheerleaders a meager $15 an hour during the 2024 season.

This was revealed by Jada McLean, a former cheerleader for the franchise, in an interview with the New York Times. McLean was not a newcomer to the team, but had already been with them for five years.

Years later, after countless unsuccessful attempts, a turning point that was almost considered impossible is now on the horizon.

NFL: Massive pay rise for Dallas cheerleaders on the way

The Cowboys’ performers are now set to receive a whopping 400 percent pay rise for the 2025 season. Long-serving cheerleaders could then even earn over $75 per hour. The figures were revealed in the second season of “America’s Sweethearts,” a documentary series about the Texan cheerleaders, which was released Wednesday on the streaming platform Netflix.

This is a huge increase in a profession that has always been known for its low wages. McLean described the massive pay rise as “a drastic change” that could give the cheerleaders more financial security.

In a statement sent by email to the NY Times, the franchise did not yet want to confirm the new wages. Nevertheless, the revelation in the Netflix documentary heralded an impending paradigm shift.

The increase, which will apply to the entire group, will not only benefit the Cowboys cheerleaders, said Daniel Kelly II, associate dean and professor at the Tisch Institute for Global Sport at New York University. The measure is also intended to raise the overall status of cheerleaders and essentially place them “above the salaries of entertainment personnel and independent contractors such as mascots.”

Dallas Cowboys: Cheerleaders’ pay has been heavily criticized for years

The pay raise for the Cowboys cheerleaders announced in the documentary marks the end of years of unsuccessful efforts to secure higher pay.

The issue gained widespread attention in 2018 when former cheerleader Erica Wilkins sued the franchise for unfair pay.

In her lawsuit, Wilkins claimed that she was paid about $7 per hour without overtime pay and a flat fee of $200 per game, which at the time was less than the annual salary of the team’s mascot, Rowdy.

Her case was settled out of court in 2019, but since then, hourly wages for cheerleaders have remained very low for years.