The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders marked a significant milestone in their professional journey during the Netflix Tudum 2025: The Live Event, held on May 31, 2025, in Inglewood, California. The featured cheerleaders were Madeline Salter, Kennedy Hannan, Kelee Norris and Megan McElaney. They did an amazing job repping the team on this majorly high profile event.
Take a moment to celebrate this right step! It comes on the heels of a big pay raise for the cheerleaders, negotiated after a lawsuit settlement with former cheerleader Erica Wilkins in September 2019. The Dallas Cowboys organization settled with the cheerleaders, agreeing to pay back wages and raise game-day pay from $200 to $400. This amendment is in response to a significant increase of 400% compensation to ensure these uncompensated, yet committed, members of the ROS team.
Megan McElaney, a four-year veteran of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, expressed her gratitude for the raise, stating, “Our efforts were heard and they wanted to give us a raise.” This feeling hits home for everyone on the team as they look back on their experience fighting to win fair compensation.
The pay increase was notably revealed in episode 7 titled “Saturn Returns” of the second season of “America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders,” which began streaming on Netflix on June 18. A new reality show takes a close, serious look at the lives of cheerleaders. It provides audiences an exciting glimpse into their struggles and successes.
Fellow cheerleader Jada McLean said that the bump in pay would be “life-changing.” She stressed that it took off a lot of the burdens that they were experiencing. She said, “Happy doesn’t describe what this is!” Her words were a powerful testament to how this change has fundamentally shifted their quality of life. McLean continued, “I think I was just in disbelief and shock, but more so relief. Like, wow, everything finally worked out.” And it was, you know, at last, thank God, we were through with having to fight.
Armani Latimer echoed this sentiment, stating, “We pushed, and we got back good results.” The cheerleaders’ unity and determination has brought them this important step towards improved conditions and increased pay.
After all, the NFL is a pillar of the world’s wealthiest sports league, worth more than $10 billion in 2024. With that legacy, the league continues to shape the public perception around cheerleaders. The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders’ recent realization of the value of their contributions and responsibility marks an encouraging shift in the treatment and perception of cheerleaders as valuable organizational assets.
