GLENDALE, Ariz. — Rihanna soared to new heights and even had a big surprise for fans during her Super Bowl halftime show performance.
She began and ended the Super Bowl 57 performance hovering high above the field at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
The performance lacked the surprise guests stars included in many previous Super Bowl halftimes, save one — her representative revealed afterward that the singer is pregnant with her second child.
Rihanna's performance was her first solo performance event in seven years, and her first since becoming a mother for the first time nine months ago.
Shortly after the Super Bowl wrapped up, the NFL uploaded Rihanna's full nearly 14-minute performance, which you can watch now on YouTube.
How much did Rihanna get paid for the Super Bowl halftime show?
It may seem counterintuitive, but performing at the Super Bowl for millions of people has more in common with a college internship than a money-making concert tour stop.
That's because the Super Bowl halftime show performers don't really get paid by the NFL to perform. That's right: Rihanna won't directly get a big paycheck for her live performance at one of the most-watched events of the year.
Even without a check from the NFL, performers can still get massive exposure from their halftime show singing, which leads to an uptick in music sales and streaming.
Photos: Rihanna shines during Super Bowl halftime performance
Last year's show had five performers: Mary J. Blige, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar and Eminem. All of them saw a surge in music sales after their performance was watched live by an estimated 103.4 million people. Snoop Dogg and Blige, who both released albums days before the Super Bowl, saw the highest gains, with streams of their music jumping to 143% and 132% from pre-game levels respectively, according to Billboard.
Although they won't be putting up any significant money for the performers, the NFL still has a hefty bill paying for the expenses of the halftime show production every year.
That final tally can sometimes be in the millions of dollars. For example, Esquire reports that the 2020 performance by Jennifer Lopez and Shakira cost $13 million to put on.
Yahoo Finance calculated Lady Gaga's 2017 set cost a pretty penny as well: over $10 million.
