Rihanna's Concert Last Night Interrupted By A Football Game...
After nearly 6 years of no music, Rihanna made her return by performing at the Super Bowl last night. Even though she didn't get paid for the performance, she still got PAID...
Happy New Week,
Last night, Rihanna took over the Super Bowl’s Half Time Show with a 15-minute-long epic performance. When it was announced that Rihanna will be performing at the Super Bowl it was a shock to everyone. Not just because she hasn’t released any music in a while but because in 2019, she famously turned down the chance to headline the Super Bowl halftime show. Her main reason was because of how the NFL treated Colin Kaepernick. However, Jay Z’s Roc Nation is now the NFL’s official live music entertainment partner for the Super Bowl. With Jay Z being the person who signed her to Def Jam when she was a teenager and then to Roc Nation, the conversation is different.
The most interesting thing about this is Rihanna isn’t getting paid a penny for the halftime show. No artist has ever been paid for performing at the Super Bowl. How it works is that Apple Music and the NFL cover the costs of production but even sometimes artists spend their own money to ensure the product is up to the level they want. Performing at the Super Bowl isn’t about the paycheck. Last year's halftime show performed by Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar, 50 Cent, and Anderson Paak was viewed by 200 million people and generated billions of impressions on social media.
"The Super Bowl is one of the biggest stages in the world, it's an entertainer's dream to be on a stage like that." Rihanna
This performance was Rihanna’s return to music after nearly six years away. The only song she’s released in the last six years was “Lift Me Up” for the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever movie. Rihanna has been busy during the last six years though, she gave birth to her first child in May, and yesterday she revealed that she is pregnant with her second child! She has also been very busy building one of the most inclusive and successful cosmetic brands, Fenty Beauty, which is worth an estimated $2.8 billion.
Although Rihanna isn’t getting paid for this performance, she will be earning way more than any performance fee she could ask for. The exposure she gets from performing to such a massive audience brings huge benefits. For example, The Weekend performed in 2021 and ended up upgrading his After Hours tour from arenas to stadiums in 2022, grossing roughly $7 – 8 million more revenue per show. In 2020, Jenniffer Lopez gained 2.3 million new followers across social media after she headlined with Shakira.
Mary J Blige performed last year with Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre and she ended up selling out arenas across America, grossing $34 million. She had the opportunity to perform at the Super Bowl twice and is very aware of the long-term benefits that come with performing on the show.
“You’re gonna get paid for the rest of your life off of this. People are gonna be knocking at your door.” Mary J. Blige
Even if Rihanna isn’t getting paid directly, she knows this is a great opportunity for her to get some extra sales for Fenty Beauty and Savage X Fenty. Her marketing channels are in full force and she isn’t letting this opportunity go to waste. Brands pay more than $7 million for a 30-second commercial during the game and Rihanna has a whole 15-minute halftime show! Within the 15-minute show, she took a 3-second break to freshen up her face with a Fenty Beauty product, a neatly executed product placement. In the lead-up to the Super Bowl, both brands launched limited edition products. With Rihanna back again trending, I won’t be surprised if these products sell out.
Rihanna's performance at the Super Bowl was also a great opportunity for her to return back to music. The Super Bowl is a great opportunity for Rihanna to reconnect with her audience after years of being away and to also widen her audience. Her performance was very nostalgic and also reminded people of how great and strong her discography is. Fans were hoping she would announce a new single, a new album, or a new tour yet like Beyonce did in 2016 when she announced her tour as a commercial right after her performance. Nonetheless, new fans and current fans will go back and stream Rihanna’s current music. Last year, Dr. Dre saw a 183% increase in album sales and a 105% bump in on-demand streams.
In life, there are situations where you may not get a direct payout but if you think long-term and of the bigger picture. There are many ways you can milk the opportunity and earn even more than you would have originally been paid. This is a clear example of how to do so.
Have a great week!