You may be wondering how much Rihanna will be paid for her halftime performance at the 2023 Super Bowl.
- See, that’s the thing. You don’t get paid to play in the Super Bowl.
- I mean the team did.
- Even Philly.
- But not artist.
Yes, they do union scale. But that’s only a small part of what entertainers do when they play State Farm Stadium without a football game vying for the spotlight.
In a statement to The Independent, an NFL representative confirmed that the league “covers all costs associated with the show” and pays union wages.
According to Local 586 of the American Federation of Musicians, a flat-rate union scale for a gig in a venue the size of Arizona’s State Farm Stadium would be $450 for the “leader,” in this case Rihanna, and $400 per number of country musicians.
Artists like Rihanna play the Super Bowl to get attention
But the Super Bowl halftime show is what’s known as an opener, like when a local band is asked to embark on a tour and then is conned into selling them tickets when they play for free or nearly for free.
In defense of the Super Bowl (a word I’m sure my Eagles fans wouldn’t like to read today), unlike the opportunities for these local bands, the Super Bowl truly lived up to that promise of fame. Sunday’s screening is expected to reach 192 million viewers in the US alone.
That’s a lot of people who would love to see Rihanna’s triumphant return to live music, after five or so years retiring from the limelight and focusing on other pursuits, from fashion and perfume to family, depending on whether you consider this a one-off. At the 2018 Grammys or bring it back on the anti-tour end in late 2016.
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Rihanna’s halftime show features her greatest hits
However, as promised days before the show when speaking to reporters in Phoenix, Rihanna’s halftime performance was a 13-minute “celebration of my catalog,” including classics like Work and “We Found Love.
And indeed, as Hypebot reports, RiRi’s Spotify stream soared even higher than the futuristic floating platform she rode on after her performance. Total streams are up 349% while “Bitch Better Have My Money” – her opening theme on a show she’s not even paying for?! – saw a 1,796% jump.
In 2017, Lady Gaga experienced a 1,000% increase in song and album sales after the Super Bowl.
It’s not uncommon for a part-time artist to announce a tour after halftime on Monday, but now that we know Rihanna is pregnant, that announcement seems unlikely.
So… in other words, you get paid big to play in the Super Bowl.