
<p>As the players left the field, all eyes turned to The Weeknd as he took the stage at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa for the Super Bowl halftime show. The performance was highly anticipated following the “Blinding Lights” singer’s <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/andreabossi/2020/11/24/the-weeknd-receives-zero-nominations-for-2021-grammys-in-shocking-snub/?sh=44cf49ea1f89">Grammy snub</a> and the postponement of his <em>After Hours </em>tour.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image is-style-default"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/GettyImages-1300913115-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-49951" width="493" height="328" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/GettyImages-1300913115-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/GettyImages-1300913115-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/GettyImages-1300913115-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/GettyImages-1300913115-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/GettyImages-1300913115-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/GettyImages-1300913115-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 493px) 100vw, 493px" /><figcaption>TAMPA, FLORIDA &#8211; FEBRUARY 07: The Weeknd performs during the Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show at Raymond James Stadium on February 07, 2021 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



<p>The Weeknd, who goes by Abel Tesfaye offstage, understands spectacle: &#8220;We live in a world where artists don&#8217;t really make the money off the music like we did in the Golden Age,&#8221; he told&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/zackomalleygreenburg/2017/06/12/inside-the-weeknds-big-year-and-the-new-streaming-economy/"><em>Forbes</em></a>&nbsp;in 2017. &#8221; It&#8217;s not really coming in until you hit the stage.&#8221;</p>



<p>Without guests, The Weeknd performed for the full 13-minute show, mixing songs from his earlieralbums&nbsp;<em>Behind the Madness&nbsp;</em>and&nbsp;<em>Starboy&nbsp;</em>with tunes from his recent hit release&nbsp;<em>After Hours.</em>&nbsp;At once mesmerizing and disorienting, the performance included a choir, violinists, hundreds of dancers and fireworks.</p>



<p>The Weeknd&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/maddieberg/2021/02/05/why-the-weeknd-wont-be-paid-for-the-super-bowl-halftime-show/?sh=22089c462c17">wasn’t paid for</a>&nbsp;the gig—in fact, his manager says he contributed $7 million of his own money to put on the high-budget act—but the pay off from the show could be huge. The exposure that the halftime show provides leads to a boost in record sales and streams. Last year, streams of Jennifer Lopez and Shakira’s catalogs jumped 149% and 221%, respectively, in the days following their performances, according to Nielsen Music. The show also served as a sneak peek of his 2022 tour; in past years, StubHub traffic has jumped at least 50% for halftime acts following their performances.</p>



<p>The show also garners the hundreds of thousands of social media impressions each year. Through 9:20pm ET there were 747,343 tweets mentioning The Weekend, according to social analytics firm ListenFirst. There were 534,225 tweets mentioned halftime, with 11% expressing joy and 7% expressing surprise.</p>



<p>Here’s a look at some of the best and buzziest of Super Bowl halftime Twitter:</p>



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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">When your parents try to talk to you on FaceTime <a href="https://t.co/gXMpjOKe6L">pic.twitter.com/gXMpjOKe6L</a></p>&mdash; Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) <a href="https://twitter.com/MattHarmon_BYB/status/1358591183975403523?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2021</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">me trying to follow the hostess to my table at the Cheesecake Factory  <a href="https://t.co/mhB6LKCIiF">pic.twitter.com/mhB6LKCIiF</a></p>&mdash; Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) <a href="https://twitter.com/ConorRyan_93/status/1358590985723392000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2021</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I love pop stars that can&#39;t dance. They always hit that same little wiggle lmao</p>&mdash; Astead (@AsteadWH) <a href="https://twitter.com/AsteadWH/status/1358589130666573824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2021</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/yz6uNko8Xa">pic.twitter.com/yz6uNko8Xa</a></p>&mdash; Tommy Vietor (@TVietor08) <a href="https://twitter.com/TVietor08/status/1358590745498689536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2021</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">(*private island all tested negative multiple times wear a mask ❤️ ) <a href="https://t.co/3QZbvGpBk5">pic.twitter.com/3QZbvGpBk5</a></p>&mdash; Joel Pavelski (@joelcifer) <a href="https://twitter.com/joelcifer/status/1358593856447647744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2021</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Well at least they’re wearing masks&#8230; <a href="https://t.co/HQ2QnaCpZd">pic.twitter.com/HQ2QnaCpZd</a></p>&mdash; Loni Love (@LoniLove) <a href="https://twitter.com/LoniLove/status/1358594451208171521?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2021</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Me looking for toilet paper at Costco last March. <br> <a href="https://t.co/hkbtrILMX1">https://t.co/hkbtrILMX1</a></p>&mdash; Maximiliano Bretos (@MaxBretosSports) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaxBretosSports/status/1358593915075534849?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2021</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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https://twitter.com/profmusgrave/status/1358593204015288325?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1358593204015288325%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&#038;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fembedly.forbes.com%2Fwidgets%2Fmedia.html%3Ftype%3Dtext2Fhtmlkey%3D3ce26dc7e3454db5820ba084d28b4935schema%3Dtwitterurl%3Dhttps3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Fprofmusgrave%2Fstatus%2F1358593204015288325image%3D
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/mF0PK4a3Cz">pic.twitter.com/mF0PK4a3Cz</a></p>&mdash; Seinfeld Current Day (@Seinfeld2000) <a href="https://twitter.com/Seinfeld2000/status/1358590890353152001?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2021</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">with my mom at the mall when I look up from the gameboy and realize I’ve been following a random lady for 10 minutes <a href="https://t.co/fDtXXHjRVS">https://t.co/fDtXXHjRVS</a></p>&mdash; jason concepcion (@netw3rk) <a href="https://twitter.com/netw3rk/status/1358595996477890568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2021</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">This is the most people that have worn masks in Florida in months. <a href="https://t.co/oK0tBbMBMY">pic.twitter.com/oK0tBbMBMY</a></p>&mdash; joel solomon (@joelwsolomon) <a href="https://twitter.com/joelwsolomon/status/1358591286945542146?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2021</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Office manager: There is leftover birthday cake in the kitchen<br><br>Me &amp; all my coworkers trying to play it cool:<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SuperBowl?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SuperBowl</a> <a href="https://t.co/Obt1L9tCUA">pic.twitter.com/Obt1L9tCUA</a></p>&mdash; Betches (@betchesluvthis) <a href="https://twitter.com/betchesluvthis/status/1358598713665589253?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2021</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">what my friends see in their ring doorbell when I show up to their house <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/superbowl?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#superbowl</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PepsiHalftime?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PepsiHalftime</a> <a href="https://t.co/MgiYyf6SnH">pic.twitter.com/MgiYyf6SnH</a></p>&mdash; Ashley Flanagan (@ashleyflanny) <a href="https://twitter.com/ashleyflanny/status/1358592516262608912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2021</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">weeknd’s over. everybody back to work</p>&mdash; Dave Itzkoff (@ditzkoff) <a href="https://twitter.com/ditzkoff/status/1358591365517611016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2021</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<p><em>By Madeline Berg, Forbes Staff</em></p>


Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show

Super Bowl Halftime Show 2021: Twitter Reacts To The Weeknd

<p>So, ‘The Fight of the Century’ has come and gone. Normally after a fight of this magnitude, the loser is left wondering what might have been. He has to pick himself up, dust himself off and go back to the drawing board. But, in this case, it was the poor fans that wondered what could have been. Some, especially the non-boxing fans who were caught up in the hype, asked, “Is that it?”</p>
<p>Was that really the fight of the century?</p>
<p>What is a fight of the century anyway? To the hardcore boxing fan, such a fight is one where there are knockouts and knock downs; where there’s blood and tears, where there is drama. Fights that deserve that label are: Muhammad Ali vs George Foreman in 1974; Ali vs Joe Frazier in 1975; Sugar Ray Leonard vs Roberto Duran in 1980; Leonard vs Thomas Hearns in 1981; and Marvin Hagler vs Hearns in 1985.</p>
<p>With the much-awaited Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao fight, it was always going to depend on what the Filipino was going to bring to the table. In other words, it was up to Pacquiao to make or break the fight. As the famous ring announcer, Michael Buffer, said before the fight, “Pacman is going to have to come out like a Tasmanian devil if he hopes to upset Mayweather.” After Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach said that his fighter was ready to go 25 rounds, expectation was high, despite many believing the fight happened five years too late. When the fight started, fans were on the edge of their seats. Not because of what was happening in the ring, because of what they hoped could happen.</p>
<p>What was happening was that Pacquiao, a slugger, was trying to outbox a boxer in Mayweather. After 12 not so exciting rounds, Mayweather ran away with a unanimous decision. The result seemed to surprise Pacquiao who said after the fight that he thought he did enough to be awarded a decision. Mayweather will march into his reported 49th and final bout in September still undefeated. When the dust settles, this fight will only be remembered for its financial records. It became the highest selling pay-per-view sporting event of all time with a staggering 5.65 million buys. The previous record in terms of pure sales was the 2007 fight between Mayweather and Oscar De La Hoya at 2.48 million.</p>
<p>The fight generated well in excess of $400 million, much more than the Super Bowl.</p>
<p>The big question on everybody’s lips is whether there will be a rematch? Given that Pacquiao revealed he fought with an injured shoulder, chances are that a rematch could be on the cards. But it is doubtful that a second fight will generate even half as much interest.</p>
<p>Fans will remember the principle of once bitten twice shy. Simply put, most in the boxing fraternity were left underwhelmed.</p>
<h2>Rich But Disappointing</h2>
<p>The so-called Fight of the Century between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao was indeed the most expensive, but fell short of the high expectations.</p>
<p>“Mayweather did what he usually does – running away from his opponent. I expected a lot from them but they didn’t live up to my expectations. It was not a fight of the century; it could be one of the popular fights in the last 15 years. Mayweather should have knocked out Pacquiao but he fought like a coward,” says Alan Toweel, a boxing trainer in South Africa.</p>
<p>Toweel says what happened in Las Vegas was not good for boxing. He believes the knockout Pacquiaa suffered at the hands of Juan Manuel Marquez in 2012 finished him.</p>
<p>Ron Jackson, a boxing historian and journalist, agrees the fight was not a classic.</p>
<p>“I thought Pacquiao won the fight. It was very disappointing to see Mayweather running around. At least it could have been a draw,” he says.</p>
<p>A few days after Mayweather won his 48th fight and kept his unbeaten record, the American announced that his next fight will be in September and will be his last. Amir Khan, from Britain, is being touted as his next opponent. But this is yet to be confirmed.</p>
<p>“Hopefully it does happen. If it does, it will be an interesting fight because Khan is very good boxer. I don’t look forward to another Mayweather’s fight. He past his time,” says Toweel.</p>


Tag: Super Bowl

FORBES AFRICA SOCIAL MEDIA

Super Bowl Halftime Show 2021: Twitter Reacts To The Weeknd

The $400-Million Flop Of The Century