Performing at the Superbowl is widely considered to be a huge career milestone for performers, and Rihanna’s recent performance at the annual event may be one of the biggest of her life. But many fans may be surprised to know that she didn’t get paid for the gig.

In fact, no artist is ever paid for performing at the Superbowl. The NFL covers certain expenses, but they don’t pay a performance fee.

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“We do not pay the artists,” an NFL representative said to Forbes in 2016. “We cover expenses and production costs.”

This likely saves them millions, as many entertainers charge over six figures for performances. The more high-profile the event, the more the paycheck often is. For example, Beyonce recently got paid $24 million to sing at the opening of the Dubai’s Atlantis The Royal Hotel. It now reportedly holds the record as the most expensive singular performance ever.

Despite how expensive it’s historically been to hire Beyonce to perform, she also didn’t receive a paycheck for her Superbowl performances years ago.

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The Superbowl attracts millions of viewers (as well as media attention) each year, so the exposure the artist receives is often enough to make the lack of a paycheck worth it.

Rihanna demonstrated in her recent performance that the Superbowl stage can be used as a huge advertising platform.

The Fenty Beauty founder made several references to her makeup brand during the performance. At one point, she touched up her makeup with a Fenty compact. She then later applied a new liquid lipstick from her brand, called “MVP,” which became available during the Superbowl halftime.

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But she made an even bigger announcement with her performance – she’s expecting baby no. 2. Rihanna’s performance went viral online with fans trying to suss out whether she’s pregnant again or not (she welcomed her first child, a boy, with ASAP Rocky less than a year ago).

Later in the performance, Rihanna rubbed her stomach, confirming the speculation.

Though she may not have been paid for her Superbowl appearance, it’ll certainly go down as one of the biggest moments in Rihanna’s career. And she’s not the first entertainer to make a huge statement at the NFL event, which seems performing the Superbowl has its benefits, even if there’s no paycheck at the end.

Sources: Forbes, PEOPLE,

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