The Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders received a hefty pay raise after years of lobbying for an increase.
The big raise was revealed Wednesday in the latest episode of the Netflix docuseries "America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders," which is currently in its second season.
"'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," said former cheerleader Jada McLean, according to Entertainment Weekly.
During the first season, the women shared that despite the long hours spent in practices, games and public events, they still had to hold additional jobs to support themselves while on the team.
In the season's final episode, fourth-year veteran Megan McElaney shared that early on, some team members had raised concerns directly with leadership, which sparked key developments later in the season.
"Our efforts were heard, and they wanted to give us a raise," the cheerleader from Oceanside, California, said. "And we ended up getting a 400% increase, which is, like, life-changing."
Team members have long pushed for higher wages. In a 2018 lawsuit over unfair pay, former cheerleader Erica Wilkins alleged she earned around $7 an hour, received no overtime, and was paid a flat $200 per game. Following the 2019 settlement, game day pay increased to $400.
In August, Forbes ranked the Cowboys as the NFL's most valuable team, valuing the franchise at $10.1 billion for the ninth consecutive year.
The Dallas Cowboys have become the first sports franchise to surpass a $10 billion valuation, with Forbes estimating the team's worth at $10.1 billion in its annual ranking released last year. That marks a 77% jump since 2020, despite the temporary slowdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and reflects an average annual return of 15%, outpacing the S&P 500's 13% over the same time span.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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