Rihanna's Super Bowl Halftime Show Year and Network
Rihanna performed at the Super Bowl LVII halftime show on February 12, 2023, during the broadcast of the Arizona Cardinals versus Philadelphia Eagles game at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The performance aired on Fox and was produced by Jay-Z's Roc Nation in partnership with the NFL, marking Rihanna's first time headlining the halftime show and one of the most-watched musical segments in recent Super Bowl history Forbes.
The NFL confirmed Rihanna as the headliner for Super Bowl LVII halftime in late 2022, with promotional materials highlighting her as the first solo female artist to headline the show in several years. The broadcast drew an average audience of over 118 million viewers in the United States, placing the halftime segment among the highest-rated in the modern era of the event NFL.com.
Setlist, Production, and Performance Details
Rihanna's Super Bowl LVII halftime setlist included hits such as "Where Have You Been," "Only Girl (In the World)," "We Found Love," and "Umbrella," with a high-energy staging that featured pyrotechnics, a custom LED stage, and a synchronized dance ensemble. The production was designed to emphasize bold visuals and anthemic choruses, aligning with the NFL's focus on mainstream pop appeal and broadcast-friendly choreography Billboard.
Rihanna performed while visibly pregnant during the show, which generated significant media coverage and social media engagement. The performance was praised for its pacing, visual effects, and song selection, with analysts noting that the set reinforced her status as one of the top global pop acts and contributed to a measurable increase in streaming numbers for several of the featured tracks in the days following the broadcast Rolling Stone.
Impact, Ratings, and Commercial Context
The Super Bowl LVII halftime show featuring Rihanna contributed to the game becoming one of the most-watched television broadcasts in U.S. history, with the halftime segment trending across major social platforms in real time. Advertisers paid premium rates for spots surrounding the performance, reflecting the high viewership and cultural attention the halftime show generates for the NFL and its broadcast partners.
Rihanna's Super Bowl appearance is part of a broader trend in which the NFL rotates high-profile pop, hip-hop, and rock artists to drive broadcast ratings and global audience engagement. The halftime show remains one of the most valuable marketing platforms in sports, with the NFL leveraging artist partnerships and live production to sustain viewer numbers and reinforce the event's status as a premier annual entertainment and advertising showcase.