Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders 'Excited About the Future' After Fighting for 400% Pay Increase (Exclusive)
Netflix The Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders tells PEOPLE how they reacted to the NFL organization raising their pay amid the new season of their Netflix show The cheerleaders earned a 400% increase in compensation since season 1 ofAmerica's Sweethearts Jada McLean tells PEOPLE the dancers "all pretty excited about the future" The Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders are looking forward to their future with the organization after being given a400% increase in compensation. The second season of the docuseriesAmerica's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, which is now streaming on Netflix, the cheerleaders' fight for fair compensation was at the forefront of the show. By the end of the season, the ladies are given a 400% increase in pay for the 2025 season. According toNBC Sports, the cheerleaders had been earning $15 to $20 per hour or $500 per game, making their yearly salary approximately $75,000 while NFL cheerleaders typically earn around $150 per game, with an average yearly salary of about $22,500. Jada McLean tells PEOPLE how she and her fellow dancers reacted to seeing their fight for fair pay play out on screen. "I feel like the story was told very well and accurately," McLean, 22, tells PEOPLE at Netflix's headquarters in Los Angeles, alongside her teammates Charly Barby, Armani Latimer and Kelly Villares. "We had a lot of discussions I know with the leaders and within the team on just how we wanted to go about that, and I feel like the show represented that very well, and we actually come to a resolution at the end of the show too," McLean says, adding that she and the other DCC ladies are "all pretty excited about the future of the compensation with the team." Netflix Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Still, McLean says the $10 billion NFL organization is aware that there are further changes to be made considering the demand of DCC dancers. "I think in any organization there's always room for growth, and I think change happens over time. I think our organization is receptive to all of that, and they understand that there are things that do need to change," McLean tells PEOPLE. Program director Kelli Finglass and head choreographer Judy Trammell agree with McLean. "I think that as coaches, we're excited that the enhancements were made and our cheerleaders are happy and a happy team is a productive team, and I'm very proud of their value and their worth and how they feel about their role in that and how they stood up for it," says Trammell, 67. She and Finglass are both "proud" of their dancers for "coming forward and asking for some changes," says the longtime DCC choreographer. "And they were happy about it, so it was a win-win for everyone, I think," Trammell adds. Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire/Getty Beyond fair compensation, the dancers say the Cowboys organization offers them adequate mental health resources as well. "They do off that through the Cowboys," McLean says. "And also, we're all really close as teammates, and I know that if anyone's going through anything, they have 35 other girls to talk to, and we're the type of people that want to have our teammates get help if that's something that they need." McLean adds, "I don't think that's even a topic that's hush-hush in our locker room. I think we're really open about it." Latimer, whose journey with alopecia is documented in the second season of the show, adds, "And you have to remember, we see each other every single day pretty much. So if someone comes in and they seem a little off, we're not going to notice and we'll pull them aside and have a chat with them and say, 'Hey, what's going on today? Anything you need to talk about?' So I think we're pretty good at doing that." Read the original article onPeople
Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders 'Excited About the Future' After Fighting for 400% Pay Increase (Exclusive) Netflix The Dallas Cowboys c...
