Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show drew 128.2 million viewers across television and digital platforms, according to figures released by NBC on February 10, underscoring significant public interest despite days of political backlash and online criticism leading up to the event.
The DtMF singer headlined the February 8 halftime spectacle during Super Bowl 60 in Santa Clara, California. The star-studded production featured guest appearances from Cardi B, Lady Gaga, and Ricky Martin, amplifying the global appeal of a performance that unfolded amid heightened scrutiny over the NFL’s decision to spotlight an artist who performs primarily in Spanish.
While the audience total marked one of the most-watched halftime shows in league history, it fell short of the previous year’s record-setting performance by Kendrick Lamar, which attracted 133.5 million viewers across platforms.
The 2026 broadcast also faced alternative programming competition from a Turning Point–organized livestream featuring Kid Rock and other performers, which reportedly drew more than 5.1 million live viewers.
Political reaction intensified both before and after the show. President Donald Trump criticized Bad Bunny’s performance on Truth Social, calling it “one of the worst, EVER!” He added, “It makes no sense, is an affront to the Greatness of America, and doesn’t represent our standards of Success, Creativity, or Excellence.”
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Trump also wrote, “Nobody understands a word this guy is saying, and the dancing is disgusting, especially for young children that are watching from throughout the U.S.A., and all over the World.”
Despite the backlash, the confirmed viewership figures underscored the halftime show’s broad national and global reach, signaling sustained engagement with the broadcast across platforms.
Bad Bunny’s Performance Resonates Across Latin America And Latino Communities
Beyond U.S. ratings, reactions across Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Latino communities in the United States framed Bad Bunny’s halftime show as a moment of cultural visibility as he delivered a 13-minute set that included the phrase “God bless America” followed by references to countries across the hemisphere.
In Mexico City, Laura Gilda Mejía, a 51-year-old schoolteacher watching with her children, said, “It really moved me. With everything that’s going on politically in the United States, and all the hostility toward Latinos … seeing a Latino come out and sing in Spanish at the biggest show in the world was incredible.”
For the unversed, Mexico remains one of the NFL’s largest international markets, where the Super Bowl functions as both a sporting and social event.
Chrystian Plata, a 33-year-old singer and New York Giants fan, described the halftime segment as the emotional high point of the broadcast, saying it tried “to unite the traditions of all the people who migrated there and also made the United States rich.”
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In Puerto Rico, watch parties treated the halftime show as the central attraction of the evening, reflecting the artist’s cultural significance on the island.
