Rihanna returned with her first live show in seven years
(Picture: Getty Images)Rihanna followed in the footsteps of BeyonceÌ and Lady Gaga on Sunday when she performed at the Super Bowl halftime show — but she will barely get a penny for it.
No performer gets a large sum for their appearance, instead the NFL pays for all expenses associated with putting on the show, including travel and production costs.
In 2021, The Weeknd reportedly spent $7 million (£5.8 million) of his own money to put on the show, as did Dr Dre the year before that.
However, the NFL reportedly splashed about $13 million (£10.76 million) to cover Jennifer Lopez and Shakira’s 2020 half-time show — which covered the cost of production staff, sets and audio equipment.
As for the Umbrella hitmaker’s performance, a league spokesman told Forbes that Apple Music is sharing the costs with the NFL.
An NFL rep told the Independent that the league “covers all costs associated with the show and does pay the halftime performers’ union scale”.
Forbes has reported that union scale is “a fraction of the six- and seven-figure sums” performers typically earn regularly.
But after playing arguably the biggest show of their career, artists see a major swing in their music sales and popularity.
Following Lady Gaga’s 2017 set, her album and single sales rocket by 1,000 per cent, while Dr Dre’s 2022 performance saw his album sales increase by 183 per cent.
It’s not just music sales that are impacted as Lopez gained 2.3 million new followers across her social media platforms following her show with Shakira.
During her blockbuster show, Rihanna revealed she is pregnant with her second child.
The Barbadian singer, 34, kicked off the highly-anticipated live performance — her first in seven years — suspended high above the stadium on a floating stage.
Dressed in red, the star made a knowing look to the camera and then opened her jacket and stroked her pronounced stomach.
The news was later confirmed by her representative.
Rihanna welcomed her first child, a boy, with partner A$AP Rocky in May. The couple announced the star was pregnant with her first child in January 2021 — only a few months after they publically shared they were an item.
