The acclaimed halftime show garners the biggest names in music (from Beyoncé and Lady Gaga to Bruce Springsteen and Aerosmith, they’ve all taken the stage), and apparently none of them have been paid for the main performance.
Springsteen reportedly received a million dollar budget for his show in 2009, but in later years as performances got bigger and bigger, some artists started funding themselves out of pocket to ensure a production that meets your expectations. The Weeknd’s manager told Billboard that the “Blinding Lights” singer spent $7 million of his own money to produce his 2022 show.
Although the headliners were not paid for their contributions, the professional dancers next to them were, according to a 2021 statement given to the Los Angeles Times by the American Film, Radio and Television Actors Union, SAG-AFTRA and the producers of the Super Bowl halftime show agreed that the professional dancers were not will be asked to work for free as part of the halftime show.
SAG-AFTRA has advised our professional dancers that they should not rehearse or work in shows without compensation,” the statement said. “As a trade union, we believe that all working members should be paid and compensated for their work.”
This year’s Apple Music halftime show was a memorable one for Rihanna as during the performance she revealed she was expecting her second child with rapper A$AP Rocky, making her the first pregnant woman to come to the show.
For her part, the artist and businesswoman also took advantage of the showiness and mass character to advertise her cosmetic brand. In a moment that has since gone viral, Rihanna touched up her makeup using powder from her Fenty Beauty brand and decided to complete her look with a new liquid lipstick dubbed “MVP” which she launched online at the same time as the show.
By the way, a 30-second Super Bowl commercial will cost the advertiser $7 million. Rihanna, on the other hand, has made a much longer promotion for her cosmetics brand, which is part of her business empire.
