Why Rihanna is Performing at the Super Bowl for Free

Rihanna, the popstar-turned-beauty-billionaire, is set to take the stage as the Apple Music halftime act for Super Bowl LVII in front of an estimated 190 million viewers. This marks Rihanna’s return to music after a six-year hiatus and is an entertainer’s dream. The performance is expected to bring huge benefits from the exposure to a massive audience, with a number of viewers estimated to top 192 million. This is in line with past Super Bowl halftime shows, where A-list performers such as Lady Gaga and Jennifer Lopez saw a significant boost in album sales and new followers across social media after their performances.

Rihanna won’t be paid for her Super Bowl performance, as is custom for halftime headliners. However, the show offers great exposure to a large audience, and past Super Bowl halftime shows have seen performers receive a boost to their personal catalogs and have even been nominated for Emmy awards.

The Super Bowl performance is Rihanna’s chance to return to her music roots and reconnect with her audience after her hiatus. It’s also yet another collaboration with Jay-Z, whose Roc Nation entered into a partnership with the NFL in 2019 as its Live Music Entertainment Strategists. The NFL and Apple Music are expected to foot the bill for the production, which can cost north of $10 million dollars.

Rihanna’s beauty and lingerie brands, Fenty Beauty and Savage X Fenty, are also expected to score big from Sunday’s performance. The performance comes days before Valentine’s Day, a historically busy time for the lingerie industry, and both brands have launched limited edition “game day” lines, featuring football-themed products.