Boardroom breaks down why the NFL picking the Puerto Rican superstar is simply good business, not bad politics.
To call the NFL’s decision to choose Bad Bunny as the halftime performer during Super Bowl LX a “controversy” is to give oxygen to internet trolls intent on gaming the algorithm. There’s no logical argument to be made against the league’s decision. Kendrick Lamar’s 2025 performance remains the most-watched ever, with Usher in 2024 and Rihanna in 2023 following closely behind. More people than ever before are watching the big game, and many of them are doing so in non-traditional ways. The 2025 game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs was a blowout, but it marked the most successful ratings number from the Super Bowl. The game averaged 127.7 million viewers, and according to Tubi first party and Adobe Analytics, 14.5 million watched on streaming platforms, including 13.6 million on Tubi, where the game was available for free. It’s clear that for any number of reasons, more people than ever before are watching the Super Bowl. With regular-season games in Brazil, Ireland, England, Spain, and Germany, it’s also clear that the NFL is chasing a global audience with more energy and effort than ever before. Why wouldn’t they go after arguably the biggest global artist on the planet?
Advertisement
Outspoken drama mongers on X have turned Bad Bunny’s upcoming performance into yet another culture war battle, and it’s another example of the people constantly calling to keep politics out of sports, yet again dragging politics into sports. Amplifying some of the commentary surrounding Bad Bunny’s upcoming performance does nothing but give these algorithm warriors more eyeballs, but a lot of the complaints boil down to something about Bad Bunny’s “left-leaning” politics. Many of these issues are about how he sings in Spanish, which perhaps triggers some who fear this country is being reshaped by the politics of “others.” Additional complaints are aimed at his “pro-immigrant” stance, a phrase that mistakes caring about treating all people with respect as some sort of opinion on border security or the definition of asylum.
Even the wildly popular “End Wokeness“ X account is getting in on the fun. They weighed in on the decision, posting a photo of Bad Bunny in a dress and writing: “This is who was just picked to lead the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show.” Who would they have preferred? Coldplay with a guest feature from the CEO of Astronomer?
Nick Adams, who I’ve never heard of but is apparently a best-selling author endorsed by President Trump, had a rather bold suggestion for an adequate substitute. “LIKE if you agree Kid Rock would do a better Super Bowl Halftime Show than Bad Bunny.” The post has 27,000 likes, so perhaps the NFL could make the change knowing that they’ve secured .018% of the 2025 viewing audience off the strength of this Tweet. In another tweet, which he actually posted before his idea to bring Kid Rock to the Super Bowl stage, Adams suggested the NFL’s decision was harmful in toning down the divisive rhetoric currently eating apart our country. Yes, a sports league should be responsible for keeping our clashing political parties peaceful; except when they do something like advertise to “end racism.” Then, their POV as opinion makers is no longer valid. I think I have that right. Anyways, Adams wrote: “Kid Rock and Jason Aldean would have made a great Super Bowl Halftime show. Bad Bunny will just further divide the American people. A missed opportunity from the NFL to bring people together and tone down the rhetoric.”
All this adds up to just another reason for people to be extremely mad on the internet because they have nothing better to do. No artist is better suited to perform at the Super Bowl in 2026 than Bad Bunny. If the NFL’s aim is to reach as wide of an audience as possible in hopes of getting as much money as possible (which is the stated goal of any capitalistic venture, right?), then Bad Bunny gets them closer to that goal than most artists on the planet. Whether the decision is utter woke nonsense or simply common sense seems obvious…depending on what you want to see.
