The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders have scored a major win in their fight for fair pay.
Season 2 of America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders dropped June 18 on Netflix, In the final episode, the women learn that they are finally getting a much-needed raise.
‘America’s Sweethearts’ stars celebrate pay win
Pay has long been a controversial issue for NFL cheerleaders. Women earn an average of just $150 per game across the league, according to reports. Cowboys cheerleaders – along with cheerleaders from other teams – have been lobbying for wages that better reflect the time and personal commitment the job requires. Now, that hard work has paid off for members of the DCC.
“Our efforts were heard, and they wanted to give us a raise,” Megan McElaney said in the season-ending episode of America’s Sweethearts. “And we ended up getting a 400% increase, which is, like, life-changing.”
“Happy’ isn’t even the right word for it. It kind of felt like a relief, like everything had paid off. And finally, we were done fighting,” Jada McLean said.
“We pushed and we got back good results,” Armani Latimer said.
The Cowboys organization does not disclose specific information about cheerleader salaries. But McLean – who has retired from the DCC – told The New York Times that in the 2024-25 season (her fifth with the team), she made $15 an hour and $500 per appearance. With the pay raise, veteran cheerleaders could be making $75 an hour or more, she said.
Once Cowboys cheerleader said she made fast-food wages
In season 1 of America’s Sweethearts, the cheerleaders opened up about the financial costs of working with America’s most iconic football team. While cheering requires a major investment of time and energy, most had to work second or even third jobs to make ends meet while part of the DCC squad.
“I would say I’m making like a Chick-fil-A worker that works full time,” Katherine Puryear said in a season 1 episode of the docuseries.
“As a nurse, I work 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., then go to practice and get home at 12, sometimes 1 a.m.,” her teammate and fellow America’s Sweethearts cast member Kelcey Wetterberg said. “I mean, a lot of us work full-time jobs and then come to DCC at night. So it can be really exhausting.
Charlotte Jones executive vice president and chief brand officer of the Dallas Cowboys, admitted that cheerleaders were “not paid a lot.” But she insisted that becoming a member of the DCC is about more than a paycheck.
“The facts are that they actually don’t come here for the money,” she said. “They come here for something that’s actually bigger than that to them. They have a passion for dance. There are not a lot of opportunities in dance to get to perform at an elite level. It is about being part of something bigger than themselves. It is about a sisterhood that they were able to form, about relationships that they have for the rest of their lives.”
America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Season 2 is streaming on Netflix.
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