Usher will perform at this year’s Super Bowl halftime show. The talented entertainer has one of the most coveted slots that any musician and/or artist from any genre dreams of because of the large audience the football championship game presents yearly. And while Usher won’t get a physical paycheck for his dance moves and silky voice, the halftime show is still one of the most beneficial gigs a recording artist could ask for.
The Super Bowl usually draws more casual fans to the game than the
regular football viewer audience, in part because it is such a big event that advertisers spend millions of dollars for a 30-second commercial spot to attract the many eyes that tune into the game. This is also the time of year when the commercials are just as talked about as the game or the halftime show, so the attention brought to the game isn’t necessarily to watch it.Still, the incentive outside of the large viewing audience can only benefit an artist who performs at halftime. Sales, music and video streams, and interest in a halftime act usually rise dramatically once the performance is done.
Forbes reported that after Rihanna took the stage at last year’s Super Bowl, her record sales went up 390%. That included a 211% increase in the number of music streams from the day before the halftime show to the Monday after.
The previous year, in 2022, according to Billboard, the numbers for the Super Bowl performers (who featured Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Anderson.Paak, and Mary J. Blige) increased
for most. Snoop Dogg saw an increase of 143%, and Mary J. saw her numbers increase by 132%. Even Dr. Dre had a triple-digit increase of 108%. Eminem’s numbers went up 39%, and Lamar saw his numbers go up 35%.In a Newsweek article four years ago, the media outlet reported that after Jennifer Lopez and Shakira performed at the 2020 Super Bowl, the streaming of Shakira’s music increased by 230%. Lopez’ numbers were even higher: an increase of 335% on Spotify, according to the streaming company.
With a new album being released days before Usher‘s Super Bowl Halftime Performance and a national tour starting later this year, Usher stands to benefit based on his reputation as a great showman onstage. But if history repeats itself, the talented artist can expect to see his sales, streaming, and ticket sales increase by a large percentage after he moves his way around that stage at this weekend’s Super Bowl.
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