Rihanna Will Not Be Paid for Halftime Show
Rihanna’s Super Bowl LVII halftime performance has drawn mixed reviews from football fans and casual observers who tuned in to watch the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles face off Feb. 12 in Glendale, Arizona.
Four years ago, the singer had turned down a chance to perform at Super Bowl LIII to show solidarity with former NFL quarterback and anti-police activist Colin Kaepernick.
“I just couldn’t be a sellout,” she told Vogue in 2019.
This year, however, Rihanna accepted the job.
So, how much did the 34-year-old earn for her roughly 13-minute set?
Nothing.
Rihanna was not financially compensated for the show, according to Forbes.
The NFL does not pay musical artists for their halftime performances.
In 2016, league spokeswoman Joanna Hunter told Forbes, “We do not pay the artists. We cover expenses and production costs.”
Halftime shows in the past have cost the NFL upward of $10 million.
That doesn’t mean halftime show performers are left with nothing. Musicians who take on the job generally make money through exposure to tens of millions of people.
Rihanna, for example, was Googled 10 million times during the Super Bowl show, Forbes reported. (Many were trying to find out if she is pregnant. She is.)
A lot of those searches likely led to music downloads and merchandise sales.
Everything. @Rihanna #AppleMusicHalftime pic.twitter.com/shK5n9wCcN
— NFL (@NFL) February 13, 2023
As Forbes pointed out, performers in recent years have capitalized on being front and center for the big game.
“While A-list performers including Beyoncé, Bruno Mars, Justin Timberlake and Lady Gaga don’t get paid, the show does offer huge benefits from the exposure to a massive audience,” the outlet reported.
Forbes branded all of the attention singers receive during and after the game the “halftime show effect.”
Lady Gaga played the Super Bowl in 2017, and her album sales increased by 1,000 percent.
Meanwhile, Jennifer Lopez added 2.3 million social media followers when she shared the stage with Shakira in 2020.
Social media followers are often used by celebrities who push products and are generously compensated for them.
Depending on how many followers a star has, and what platform they are using, one post can be worth tens of thousands of dollars – or much more.
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