The Super Bowl is the most lucrative sporting event in the world.
Rihanna did not make a penny off her sensational Super Bowl halftime performance.
After several years of refusing to perform at the iconic sporting event, the ‘Umbrella’ singer finally agreed to get involved and set social media on fire with an amazing performance on Sunday that didn’t feature a single guest.
It did, however, lead to one major announcement – she is pregnant with her second baby.
While you might think the slot – the biggest stage in the world, watched by around 200 million – would command a huge fee, it actually doesn’t. It’s a hugely lucrative event, but not for the performers.
Rihanna, 34, will not get a cent for her set, which is customary.
This is down to the fact that the acts that perform at the event are getting the opportunity to play for the largest audience they might ever have.
As such, it leads to bumper record sales and further money-making opportunities.
For instance, when Lady Gaga played back in 2017, her album and song sales rose by 1,000%.
Meanwhile, in 2020, Jennifer Lopez gained 2.3 million new followers across her social media channels after she and Shakira performed.
Last year, Dr. Dre, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige, Snoop Dogg and 50 Cent took to the stage, for what many branded the best halftime show ever.
In the week following this Super Bowl, Dr Dre saw his album sales rise by 183%, along with a 105% hike in on-demand streams.
Speaking ahead of her performance, Rihanna said she thought twice about performing at the Super Bowl, but motherhood ultimately inspired her to do it, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
“I was like, ‘You sure? I’m three months postpartum. Should I be making major decisions like this right now? I might regret this,’” she said.
“When you become a mom, there’s something that just happens where you feel like you could take on the world — you can do anything.
“And the Super Bowl is one of the biggest stages in the world, so as scary as that was, there’s something exhilarating about the challenge of it all.
“It’s important for my son to see that.”
She also said fitting her 18-year catalog into a 13-minute set was tough.
“The setlist was the biggest challenge. That was the hardest part — deciding how to maximise 13 minutes but also celebrate,” Rihanna explained.
“That’s what the show’s going to be — it’s going to be a celebration of my catalog in the best way.
“I think we did a pretty good job at narrowing it down.”
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