Super Bowl 57 is merely hours away, and the anticipation is at a fever pitch. However, aside from the big game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs, fans of Rihanna are also eagerly awaiting her halftime performance.
The biggest musical event of the year, the Super Bowl’s halftime show is always a hot topic of discussion, especially when it comes to the compensation that artists receive. Do performers get paid for the Super Bowl halftime show? If so, how much?
The answer is not as straightforward as it might seem.
How Much Money Are Super Bowl Halftime Show Performers Paid?
Zip, zilch, zero. The harsh reality is that NFL policy states Super Bowl halftime performers are not paid for their show. Now, let’s make one thing clear, doing the Super Bowl halftime show is not something that costs artists.
The NFL covers travel costs for their selected artists, in addition to all the costs that surround the theatrics of the event itself. And, if you have ever watched a Super Bowl halftime show before, then you know that the theatricality of the event can sometimes cost millions. Whether it be due to giant dancing sharks or the complexity surrounding a high-flying jump off the roof of the stadium, the halftime show is not a cheap event.
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However, in addition to costs being covered around most of the performance itself, artists receive something else in return for their efforts — a massive jump in the popularity of their musical catalogs.
When I say massive, that might even be somewhat of an understatement. Maroon 5’s sales ballooned 434 percent on the day of their halftime show back in 2019, per Billboard. Justin Timberlake experienced a similar jump, with his album sales growing 534 percent after his 2018 Super Bowl halftime show. Lady Gaga was reported to have seen her numbers surge by 1,000 percent after Super Bowl 51 in 2017.
So, granted, there might not be a giant check waiting for Rihanna when the halftime show comes to an end. However, the influx in record sales will likely be more than enough to compensate the artist for her efforts.
With over 100 million people scheduled to watch the Super Bowl, the returns are going to be huge. This will be the first time in more than five years that Rihanna will be taking the stage. And although her net worth is already estimated to be more than $1.4 billion, the boom in her record sales will likely add to that astronomical number.