When the National Football League (NFL) unveiled Bad Bunny as the Super Bowl LX halftime show headliner on September 29, 2025, the announcement sent shockwaves rippling through the worlds of sports, music, and politics alike. The Puerto Rican superstar—born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio—will take center stage at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on February 8, 2026, becoming the latest artist to join the NFL’s most-watched spectacle. But if the league hoped for universal applause, they got anything but. The choice of Bad Bunny, a global icon renowned for his Spanish-language hits and outspoken social commentary, has ignited a cultural firestorm, drawing both raucous celebration and fierce condemnation.
Bad Bunny’s journey to the Super Bowl spotlight has been anything but conventional. The 31-year-old reggaeton and Latin trap sensation recently wrapped his 31-date “No Me Quiero Ir de Aquí” residency at San Juan’s José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum, pointedly skipping any mainland U.S. stops. His reason? As he told I-D magazine in September 2025, “f**king ICE could be outside” his concert venues, referencing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids. “It’s something that we were talking about and very concerned about,” he said, highlighting his unease with the current U.S. immigration climate. He’s also publicly criticized immigration raids in Puerto Rico, urging authorities to “leave the people alone.”
Despite his reluctance to tour the U.S., Bad Bunny agreed to perform at the Super Bowl, telling fans in a statement released by the NFL, “What I’m feeling goes beyond myself. It’s for those who came before me and ran countless yards so I could come in and score a touchdown… this is for my people, my culture, and our history.” He doubled down on his pride, adding in Spanish, “Ve y dile a tu abuela, que seremos el HALFTIME SHOW DEL SUPER BOWL”—“go and tell your grandmother that we will be the Super Bowl halftime show.” On Instagram, he marked the moment by donning a traditional Puerto Rican pava hat, a nod to his heritage that did not go unnoticed by fans or the press.
The NFL, for its part, hailed the selection as “an iconic cultural moment,” citing Bad Bunny’s “dynamic performance, creative vision, and deep connection with fans.” The league’s partnership with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, which has overseen halftime show curation since 2019, was recently extended, reflecting a broader strategy to diversify and globalize its entertainment offerings. According to USA Today, the move is seen by some as a “business-minded investment on that international future,” with the NFL “playing the long game” to appeal to a more global audience.
But not everyone is on board with the league’s vision. The backlash was both swift and intense, particularly from conservative commentators and MAGA-aligned voices. Robby Starbuck, a Cuban American media personality, lambasted the decision on X (formerly Twitter), writing, “The guy literally says he isn’t touring the US because of Trump’s ICE raids and just released a video mocking President Trump… This is not a pick designed to unite football fans or let people just enjoy the show. It was a pick designed to divide fans and no doubt Bad Bunny will find some way to push a woke message.”
Others took issue with Bad Bunny’s artistic choices, accusing him of promoting “demonic imagery” and cross-dressing in his performances. Clips from his concerts—particularly the song “Baticano”—have circulated online, showing dancers in skull masks, fire effects, and scenes that some viewers interpret as “satanic ritual vibes.” Former NFL player and The Blaze contributor T.J. Moe declared, “The NFL hates your values. It hates Christianity. It’s part of the leftist death cult. We need to raise hell until they reverse course.”
Some critics even suggested that Bad Bunny’s selection was a deliberate affront to the ongoing Christian revival reportedly sparked by the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. “Bad Bunny is a demonic Marxist who [has] been granted the largest stage with the greatest audience in the middle of a Christian revival,” wrote The Redheaded Libertarian, arguing, “This is by design. We are in a spiritual war and once you see it you can’t unsee it.”
Meanwhile, fans and supporters have celebrated the announcement as a landmark for Latino representation on one of the world’s biggest stages. As Rolling Stone reported, social media “flooded with excitement” over the news, with many hailing the “power of having a Latino on one of the world’s biggest stages” in an era marked by political tension over immigration. “Bad Bunny performing at the Super Bowl is the biggest F.U. to the current administration,” one user wrote. Another chimed in, “For one night, America’s biggest halftime event will be in Spanish. Achoooo PR.”
Even as critics questioned his fit for American football culture—Pennsylvania podcaster Erick Klambara likened it to “having Morgan Wallen at a soccer game in Mexico”—Bad Bunny’s popularity is undeniable. With a staggering 600 million video views on YouTube, he’s one of the most streamed artists in the world. His influence extends beyond music; his style, activism, and unapologetic embrace of his identity have made him a lightning rod for both adoration and controversy.
The NFL’s halftime show has long been a cultural battleground. Last year’s performance by Kendrick Lamar drew similar scrutiny, with some calling it the most politically charged halftime show to date. Yet, it also became the most-watched in history, drawing approximately 133.5 million viewers—just edging out Michael Jackson’s iconic 1993 set. The league’s willingness to court controversy is, arguably, part of its strategy to remain relevant and capture new audiences in a rapidly changing media landscape.
Behind the scenes, the selection process is closely tied to Roc Nation, Jay-Z’s entertainment powerhouse. The company, which has been “primarily tasked with selecting the Super Bowl halftime show act since 2019” (as RadarOnline.com notes), has weathered its own share of controversy. Last fall, Roc Nation’s agreement with the NFL was extended amid ongoing legal battles involving Jay-Z’s longtime friend Sean “Diddy” Combs, who was convicted of lesser charges in July 2025 following high-profile accusations. A related lawsuit against Jay-Z and Combs was dismissed with prejudice, and Jay-Z has since filed a defamation suit against the accuser.
For Bad Bunny, the Super Bowl will be just one stop on a whirlwind schedule. The halftime show will be sandwiched between dates on his global tour supporting his new album, “Debí Tirar Más Fotos.” Despite his earlier vow to avoid U.S. performances, he hinted on X that he might “do just one date in the United States”—the Super Bowl itself. His decision, while controversial, underscores the immense pull of the event and its power to shape cultural narratives.
As the NFL faces mounting criticism and impassioned defense from all sides, one thing is clear: the Super Bowl halftime show remains a mirror for America’s cultural divides—and a stage where those divisions are played out for all the world to see.
