Can you imagine putting on the kind of show that Rihanna did during halftime for Super Bowl LVII and not getting paid for it? I can’t, but headlines everywhere are saying that the singer did not get paid for it.
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A total of 118.7 million people tuned in to watch Rihanna. Viewership actually peaked during the halftime show because some of us only tuned in for that part. The rest of the Super Bowl averaged 113 million viewers. So why didn’t Rihanna get paid when she clearly added value to the broadcast? Here is the explanation.
How much have other Super Bowl performers gotten paid in the past?
Well, first, we should clarify that no headlining performer since the first halftime show in 1960 has ever been paid an appearance fee. In 2016, NFL spokesperson Joanna Hunter told Forbes, "We do not pay the artists. We cover expenses and production costs."
However, they do get something. According to NFL vice president of communications Brian McCarthy, “The NFL covers all costs associated with the show and does pay the performers' union scale. There is not an appearance fee, but the artists are indeed paid union scale."
What is union scale? This refers to the minimum amount that performers must be paid. In this case, the union setting the rates is the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA). As reported by Newsweek, as of June 2021, scale for a performer in a production with a budget of $2 million would be paid $1,030. The NFL would pay that money to SAG-AFTRA and then SAG-AFTRA would distribute the money to the performer. So, technically, the NFL does pay the performers, but it’s nothing compared to what they would usually make for an appearance.
Does the NFL really pay for all associated costs?
Sometimes, but not always. Billboard reported that according to his manager, the Weeknd spent $7 million of his own money for his 2021 Super Bowl performance. That money was on top of the $10 million budget the NFL provided.
At one point, the NFL even considered asking halftime performers to pay them!
WHAT?! When Katy Perry was asked to perform at the 2015 Super Bowl, they tried to get her to pay for the privilege. She did end up performing, but she refused to pay them. "I don't want an asterisk by my name for playing the Super Bowl for the rest of my life," Katy told Forbes. "I want to be able to say I played the Super Bowl based on my talents and my merit, thank you very much."
What was in it for Rihanna and all the other headliners?
Think of their halftime performances as a big commercial. They can use the time to promote upcoming albums, tours…or their makeup lines, as Rihanna did with her Fenty products. They also see a spike in music sales.
Thankfully, Rihanna’s dancers did get compensated.
It’s one thing for Rihanna to waive her appearance fee, but what about the dancers who performed alongside her? According to a 2021 statement given to The Los Angeles Times, "SAG-AFTRA and the producers of the Super Bowl Halftime Show have met and had an open and frank discussion, and have agreed that no professional dancers will be asked to work for free as part of the halftime show. SAG-AFTRA will be advising our professional dancer members that they should not be rehearsing or working on the Super Bowl halftime show without compensation."
