Complaints of an “overly-sexualized” Super Bowl performance don’t appear to be weighing Rihanna down much, considering how many people tuned in to enjoy it.
The FCC was hit with rampant complaints over the superstar’s sensual Super Bowl LVII performance, but they clearly weren’t enough to slow the 35-year-old down much. In fact, they may have only boosted viewership of the big halftime show – according to recent figures revealing that RiRi officially holds the title of most-watched halftime performance of all time.
Considering the competition she’s up against — which includes Lady Gaga, The Rolling Stones, and Queen Bey herself — it’s an impressive rank to reach. A recent Nielsen report revealed that, while the game itself — between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs — also had record viewership, it paled in comparison to viewers who tuned in specifically for the half time show. An additional six million viewers switched over to enjoy the halftime show, only to dip once the game resumed.
Rihanna’s red-tinged halftime show pulled in a whopping 121.017 million views in total, which —according to a correction issued by Nielsen — makes Rihanna the most sought-after halftime performer of all time. The game’s high viewership surely helped her pull in some extra eyes, but RiRi’s pull and popularity was enough to turn the tides in her favor.
Rihanna performed several of her most popular songs during the event, including “Work,” “Rude Boy,” and “We Found Love,” and audiences ate up her performance — despite the Tom Holland-shaped hole during “Umbrella.”
Similarly, complaints about Rihanna’s persistent tardiness to everything — including her own concerts — clearly weren’t enough to turn fans away. They may prefer if the singer was a touch more punctual, but RiRi is simply too talented for listeners to care. They might have to wait an hour (or four) but audiences know that Rihanna’s star power is well worth the delay.