You’re Not the Target Audience for the Halftime Show

When Bad Bunny was announced as the halftime performer for Super Bowl LX, it sparked immediate pushback and a familiar political divide. Users rushed to X to voice their displeasure, particularly because the Puerto Rican rapper performs primarily in Spanish. Turning Point USA quickly seized the moment, offering an alternative halftime program featuring a performance by Kid Rock and a tribute to the conservative organization’s founder, Charlie Kirk. While Turning Point succeeded in drawing an audience, with an estimated 6.1 million viewers tuning in, the broader point behind the NFL’s decision to select Bad Bunny was largely missed.

The Super Bowl is the most-watched television event of the year, every year, and it is not particularly close. More than 120 million Americans alone tune in. Since becoming a ratings juggernaut, the league and its advertisers have consistently searched for ways to elevate the game into the ultimate entertainment spectacle. Football fans are already watching regardless, so there is little need to cater to them further. Non-football fans often tune in for the commercials, which is why networks can charge roughly $8 million for 30 seconds of airtime and why companies spend millions hiring top writers, on-screen talent and directors.

Equally important is the halftime show. While the league bears responsibility for selecting the performer, the pressure on the artist is immense. Even established musicians risk serious career damage if something goes wrong on the world’s biggest stage, as Janet Jackson can attest. On the other hand, the performance can become a defining career moment, like Prince performing “Purple Rain” in a downpour.

Since being named commissioner in 2006, Roger Goodell has pursued one primary objective: expanding the NFL from a purely American brand into a global one. That effort has produced tangible results. In 2007, the league played its first regular-season game in London. Since then, the NFL has steadily increased the number of games played outside the United States. In 2026, the league will play in France for the first time, with nine international games scheduled across seven countries.

As the NFL continues to penetrate multiple markets and expand its global footprint, selecting an internationally recognized musician for the halftime show is a logical move. Bad Bunny, whose album DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS won the Grammy for album of the year last week, is currently the biggest international star in music. He was the most-streamed artist in the world on Spotify and held that distinction from 2020 through 2022.

Bad Bunny is not an artist recognized only outside the United States. He has released five solo studio albums. The most recent three reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200, while another peaked at No. 2. The NFL secured a performer with massive domestic popularity and significant international appeal, checking every box Goodell has prioritized.

If you were vocally unhappy with the halftime show, the league already assumed you would watch for the football anyway. You were never the target audience for the performance. And if you took that frustration to social media, all you really did was help promote the show.