On February 8, 2026, a remarkable split-screen moment unfolded during Super Bowl 60, as millions of football fans found themselves choosing between two very different halftime spectacles. While the NFL’s official Apple Music halftime show featured Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny on NBC, a parallel stream was gathering steam online: Turning Point USA’s “All-American Halftime Show,” headlined by Kid Rock and boasting an unapologetically patriotic theme, was drawing millions of viewers on YouTube.
According to USA TODAY and The Sporting News, more than 5 million people tuned in live to watch the TPUSA production, with peak viewership estimates climbing as high as 6.1 million across the Turning Point USA and Charlie Kirk YouTube channels. The show was pitched as a family-friendly, agenda-free celebration of “faith, family, and freedom,” and it delivered a lineup featuring Kid Rock, Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice, and Gabby Barrett. Pyrotechnics lit up the stage, and the setlist included a blend of country hits and American anthems.
Turning Point USA, a conservative political group co-founded by the late Charlie Kirk, announced its alternative halftime show in January 2026. The announcement came on the heels of the NFL’s decision to feature Bad Bunny, a non-English speaking performer, which sparked controversy among some fans and conservative commentators. President Donald Trump even weighed in, telling Newsmax he had “never heard” of Bad Bunny and later lambasting the official halftime performance on Truth Social, calling it “absolutely terrible, one of the worst, EVER!” He added, “Nobody understands a word this guy is saying, and the dancing is disgusting, especially for young children who are watching throughout the U.S.A., and all over the World.”
The TPUSA show kicked off just after 8 p.m. ET, streaming exclusively on YouTube due to licensing restrictions that prevented broadcasting on X (formerly Twitter). The group’s spokesman, Andrew Kolvet, described the event as “an opportunity for all Americans to enjoy a halftime show with no agenda other than to celebrate faith, family, and freedom.” He told The Spun, “We set out to provide an entertainment option that will be fun, excellent, and exciting for the entire family while millions are gathered together for the big game. These performers will deliver exactly that, and we can’t wait to watch the incredible show they’re about to put on. We know millions around the country will be watching too.”
The show opened with an electric guitar rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” and Turning Point activist Jack Posobiec dedicated the night to Charlie Kirk, who had been assassinated during a speaking engagement at Utah Valley University in September 2025. “This one’s for you, Charlie,” Posobiec declared. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made a video appearance, saluting the event and its organizers: “From the War Department, we salute Turning Point USA and everyone who believes freedom is still worth the fight. Thank you for your courage as an organization, your clarity and leadership, and for this halftime show the war department is proud to support.”
Gabby Barrett’s performance of “I Hope” marked a high point, with the YouTube live counter surpassing 4.7 million viewers around 8:20 p.m. ET, according to USA TODAY. Barrett also sang “The Good Ones.” Brantley Gilbert’s mini-set included “Real American” and “Dirt Road Anthem,” while Lee Brice performed “Drinking Class” and “Country Nowadays,” pausing to pay tribute to Kirk: “Well, Charlie, he gave people microphones so they could say what was on their mind. This is what’s on mine,” Brice said before launching into his next song.
When Kid Rock’s name appeared in lights, an American flag unfurled and the headliner leapt onto the stage, opening with “Bawitdaba” before seguing into a cover of Cody Johnson’s “Til You Can’t.” The show’s production values were high, with pyrotechnics and a slick stage design, and the entire performance ran a few minutes longer than the official halftime show, ending around 8:47 p.m. ET—just after the second half of the game resumed with 14:54 left on the clock.
The YouTube comment section was lively, reflecting the polarized response to both halftime offerings. Some users posted messages like “ICE Out” in opposition, while others cheered, “This is what should be on the field right now!!” The show concluded with a video montage honoring Charlie Kirk, featuring the Bible verse Isaiah 6:8: “Here am I, send me.”
Despite not being available on X due to licensing issues, the TPUSA halftime show was described by Front Office Sports reporter Ryan Glasspiegel as “genuinely disruptive” in terms of viewership. “Pretty sure Kid Rock is lip synching. Nevertheless, it’s a well produced show I think it has peaked around 6 million views between those two YouTube feeds,” Glasspiegel observed. He also noted that accounting for multiple viewers per screen, the audience could have been even larger.
Still, the TPUSA event was dwarfed by the sheer scale of the official NFL broadcast. As The Sporting News reported, Super Bowl 60 was expected to draw more than 125 million viewers, with the halftime show window typically seeing a surge in ratings. For context, last year’s Super Bowl halftime show headlined by Kendrick Lamar reached 133.5 million viewers, the most ever recorded for the event. While the exact numbers for Bad Bunny’s performance were not immediately available, it was clear that the global reach of the NFL and its halftime show remained unmatched.
The selection of Bad Bunny as halftime performer had drawn criticism from some conservative circles, especially after the artist’s “ICE out” remark at the Grammy Awards, where he spoke out against Trump’s immigration enforcement policies. This cultural flashpoint helped fuel interest in the TPUSA alternative, which positioned itself as a return to traditional American values and entertainment.
In the end, the 2026 Super Bowl halftime divide offered a vivid snapshot of America’s current cultural and political landscape. With millions tuning in to each show, the night underscored both the enduring power of the NFL and the growing influence of alternative media platforms in shaping national conversations—even, or perhaps especially, during the country’s most-watched television event.