NFL Announces Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime Show Set a New Viewership Record
Bad Bunny’s halftime show during Super Bowl LX broke viewership records, despite mixed reactions to his selection.
“.@sanbenito Achieves Global Viewership Record for Most-Watched Super Bowl Halftime Show Performance Ever #AppleMusicHalftime,” Roc Nation shared via X on Monday, March 2, in a post circulated by the NFL.
Accompanying the post was a graphic with additional information. Bad Bunny, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, amassed an impressive 4.157 billion viewers worldwide across broadcast, YouTube, and other digital platforms within the first 24 hours, as reported by Roc Nation.
Although this figure does not take into account repeat viewers, the number represents about half of the global population.
This also surpasses the initial estimate of around 4 billion views, which was still a remarkable 137 percent increase over the previous halftime show. The actual broadcast peaked with an average of 128.2 million viewers between 8:15 and 8:30 p.m. ET on Super Bowl night, slightly down from Kendrick Lamar’s 133.5 million the year prior.
Bad Bunny’s astounding viewership is made even more notable considering the competing alternative halftime show put forth by Turning Point USA in reaction to his selection, which garnered approximately 20 million views on YouTube within the first 24 hours.
The criticism of Bad Bunny’s performance, which was entirely in Spanish and highlighted his Puerto Rican roots, persisted even after the Super Bowl concluded.
Republican Congressman Andy Ogles called for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to investigate the “National Football League and NBC immediately for their prior knowledge, deliberate approval, and facilitation of this indecent broadcast” in a post via X on February 9.
“American culture will not be mocked or corrupted without consequence,” Ogles, 54, asserted.
He further stated, “Children were subjected to explicit displays of inappropriate acts, women dancing provocatively, and Bad Bunny grabbing himself while dry-humping the air. To make things worse, the lyrics celebrated unspeakable acts. These vulgar displays are illegal on public airwaves.”
FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez stated to Reuters a week later that she reviewed the performance transcripts and found “no violation of our rules and no reason to harass broadcasters over a standard live performance.”
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell defended Bad Bunny in October 2025, standing by the league’s choice.
“He’s one of the leading and most popular entertainers globally,” Goodell, 66, told reporters. “That’s what we aim to achieve. It’s a vital platform for us and a key aspect of our entertainment value, thoughtfully considered.”
