Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

The Weeknd’s music sales soar by 385% following Super Bowl halftime show

The Weeknd performs during the halftime show of Super Bowl 55 between the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday in Tampa, Fla.  (David J. Phillip)
By Karu F. Daniels New York Daily News

Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers weren’t the only winners at Super Bowl 55.

Despite the big football game’s ratings being the lowest since 2007, halftime show performer The Weeknd saw an uptick in music sales after the event.

Billboard writes that according to initial reports, sales of the pop crooner’s overall catalog swelled by 385% following his much buzzed about performance.

And the best-selling songs were the hits he sang during the showcase.

While the chart-topper “Blinding Lights” raked in 29% of his total sales on Feb. 7, the track wasn’t the one that people rushed to download. The infectious ballad “Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey)” saw a sales increase of 1,240%.

In recent years, it’s come to light that performers don’t get paid for performing at the Super Bowl halftime show, but they usually make it up through other avenues and sponsorships.

Meanwhile, OnlineGambling.com used Soundcharts.com to track fan base growth across The Weeknd’s social channels, which saw a 428,000 follower increase across his social media platforms within the past seven days.