The NFL has strongly backed Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show, sharing a series of reaction videos, captions, and even a social media post from Commissioner Roger Goodell celebrating the performance despite a campaign from conservative activists who tried to turn the event into the latest front in the culture war.
Despite backlash from some, including President Donald Trump, who called his performance “absolutely terrible,” “a slap in the face” to the country, and “an affront to the Greatness of America,” the NFL has remained steadfast in its support for the entertainer.
Having Bad Bunny, one of the most popular singers in the world, perform at the Super Bowl has helped fulfill the league’s top business objective of growing the NFL’s international and Latino audiences, San Francisco analyst Rich Mendelson told the Washington Examiner.
Mendelson added that many team owners, whose average age is around 75, might not be familiar with Bad Bunny’s music and may disagree with his stance on immigration policies, but that they know it is important to “embrace a variety of perspectives” for the good of the league.
“Doing so is crucial if they want to connect with prominent artists and keep their fan bases,” he said. “Adapting to this reality is vital for maintaining relevance in the entertainment world.”
Having Bad Bunny perform at the Super Bowl not only expanded the NFL’s reach but it also drew a record number of viewers and became a cultural milestone because he performed almost entirely in Spanish, Mendleson added.
Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, is a six-time Grammy winner, 16-time Billboard Music Award winner, and 17-time Latin Grammy Award winner. His 13-song set at the Super Bowl in Santa Clara, California, earned rave reviews not just from fans of the Puerto Rican-born singer but also from unlikely corners of the political universe, such as Meghan McCain.
“I’m sorry but I just genuinely question your taste level if you didn’t enjoy the Bad Bunny halftime show,” she posted on X. “And everything in life doesn’t have to be ruined with politics.”
Her post had racked up 1.2 million views by mid-afternoon on Monday.
Vivianca Rodriguez, a former Trump campaign worker, and Alexis Wilkins, the girlfriend of FBI Director Kash Patel, both praised the performance’s “branding” and the inclusion of Bad Bunny.
Wilkins, a 27-year-old country singer and conservative activist, responded to a Democratic Party post featuring Bad Bunny in front of a Puerto Rican and American flag with the caption: “All-American Halftime with Bad Bunny.” In the upper left-hand corner were the words “Made in America.”
“Unpopular: Republicans need to unite and get on better messaging because this branding is fantastic and allows all dems to get behind it,” Wilkins wrote, adding, “Also – super aesthetic.”
Her comments were not well received by conservatives, who accused Wilkins of being a “leftist” who is “destroying the country,” and urged her to “get out.”
Brothers Jake and Logan Paul were split on the performance and aired their problems out online.
Jake Paul, a YouTuber-turned-boxer, posted on X that he would not watch Bad Bunny’s halftime show, calling the Puerto Rican superstar a “fake American citizen.” People quickly noted that Jake Paul also lives in Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, and that Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens.
Among those criticizing him was his brother, Logan, a YouTuber-turned-WWE superstar.
“I love my brother, but I don’t agree with this,” he posted on X. “Puerto Ricans are Americans & I’m happy they were given the opportunity to showcase the talent that comes from the island.”
Meanwhile, Turning Point USA’s heavily promoted “All-American Halftime Show,” billed as a celebration of “faith, family, and freedom” and featuring Kid Rock, attempted to offer a patriotic counterweight to the NFL’s show. But despite weeks of hype from conservative influencers, the alternative show suffered from some technical glitches and obvious lip-syncing from its headline act.
Nonetheless, the show drew as many as 6.1 million concurrent viewers on its YouTube channel on Sunday, according to the New York Times. Real America’s Voice, a conservative American streaming and cable TV channel, was much more bullish, posting on social media that 40 million-50 million people tuned in to the halftime show, though it did not provide details on how it arrived at that number.
Andrew Kolvet, executive producer of The Charlie Kirk Show, claimed on Steve Bannon’s War Room podcast that more than 1 million people had tuned in even before the show had started. He added that Turning Point USA was checking whether the broadcast was the highest livestream in history, saying it was easily No. 2.
Conservative commentator Benny Johnson, meanwhile, blasted the NFL, claiming the organization would “never recover after betraying their audience.”
“They tried to force Americans to watch Bad Bunny, who hates this country and refuses to speak English — The people REJECTED it,” he said. “TPUSA broke the record for the #1 Entertainment Stream on YouTube in history with a show that focused on good music, family and God. This victory was for Charlie Kirk. We are winning.”
The number of people who watched Bad Bunny’s halftime show is likely to hit 135 million, according to early estimates, shattering Super Bowl records.
Despite the day-after hype from conservatives, Mendleson said the “league knows its audience, its numbers, and which performances actually command attention.”
The contrast only reinforced why the NFL does not feel pressure to engage in ideological skirmishes — again.
In 2016, the NFL faced huge blowback over players kneeling during the national anthem over racial injustice. It began with San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick. The movement grew, and by Sept. 24, 2017, more than 200 players sat or knelt after Trump, who was president at the time, called for team owners to “fire” the protesting players. In solidarity with Kaepernick, some big-name artists refused to play the Super Bowl. The NFL ultimately chose Maroon 5 in 2019, a performance that was widely panned. The NFL was worried that its marquee event had been ruined and people would not tune in anymore.
JAKE PAUL CLARIFIES HE CALLED BAD BUNNY A ‘FAKE AMERICAN’ OVER ICE CRITICISM
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and Goodell flew to Los Angeles to meet with Jay-Z. The NFL struck a deal with the music mogul’s entertainment company, Roc Nation, to produce the Super Bowl halftime show. The deal gave the NFL a way to gain back some credibility and reach a more diverse audience.
Since then, the Super Bowl’s halftime acts have included Shakira, Jennifer Lopez, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar, and now, Bad Bunny.
