Why would Rihanna perform for free?
This may seem crazy, especially since tons of money gets poured into the super bowl. Between ticket sales, ads, merch, etc., millions of dollars are spent and made during the super bowl. Yet, one of the biggest stars and most-seen shows does not get paid. Though the NFL does pay for production and travel, no upfront fee for the performer is given.
Why is that?
This may seem strange at first but when you actually look into the numbers and understand the back end of things it makes complete sense. Justin Timberlake’s sales went up 534% the same day of his 2018 performance and Lady Gaga saw a raise of 1000% in digital sales following her performance. The Weekend sold $100 million in ticket sales after his performance and he even invested 7 million into it from his own pocket. So once you see how the back end works it can be quite the beneficial investment for any performer. Also, look at the attention, be it good or bad, they will each receive. It puts them right back in the spotlight.
So though we don’t want to be taken advantage of and given the old “you’ll get exposure” line, I think it’s safe to say this is an investment worth taking :).