From kneeling to Spanish anthems: How the NFL lost Middle America at halftime

After the chaotic aboriginal 2020s, erstwhile the NFL led the mode by leaning into woke nonsense similar kneeling for the nationalist anthem oregon introducing "Lift Every Voice" arsenic a abstracted anthem for Black Americans, there’s been a deficiency of spot betwixt the mean shot instrumentality and the Super Bowl halftime production. The consciousness is, "What are they going to effort this time?"

The NFL responded with an all-Spanish halftime amusement and efficaciously challenged Americans to person a occupation with it. What are viewers going to bash — not watch?

But galore didn’t.

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Turning Point’s "All-American Halftime Show" was announced a fewer months agone to opposition with what galore expected would beryllium a politicized halftime amusement by Bad Bunny, an creator whose songs are exclusively successful Spanish and who has made governmental statements successful the past, including "Ice Out" astatine the Grammy Awards and "F--- Trump" during the Black Lives Matter protests.

Bad Bunny performs during halftime of the NFL Super Bowl 60 shot crippled betwixt the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, successful Santa Clara, California. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

The New York Times puts the fig of concurrent viewers of the alternate amusement astatine 6.1 million, portion Turning Point says its full viewership was astir 9 million. The amusement aired connected streaming platforms similar YouTube and Rumble. That fig whitethorn beryllium a fraction of the "official" halftime show, but the Super Bowl halftime amusement is 1 of the astir costly productions successful entertainment, often moving much than $10 million, and the artists, who are not paid, execute for the exposure.

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To suffer anyplace from 6 cardinal to 9 cardinal viewers is not a triumph for the authoritative show. That Turning Point was capable to vie astatine all, with stars similar Gabby Barrett and Kid Rock, is simply a testament to however overmuch Americans are craving a mean amusement — 1 with performers who don’t hatred them, don’t onslaught instrumentality enforcement and don’t despise the president they conscionable re-elected.

Musician Bad Bunny performs during the Apple Music halftime amusement astatine the NFL Super Bowl LX shot crippled betwixt the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots astatine Levi Stadium connected February 8, 2026 successful Santa Clara, California.  (Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images)

There was immoderate irony successful the show, specified arsenic erstwhile Ricky Martin joined Bad Bunny connected signifier for the opus "Lo Que Pasó en Hawái," which translates to "What happened to Hawaii." What happened to Hawaii is that an influx of radical moved successful unchecked, and the section colonisation was displaced, with immoderate forced to permission their homes. 

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The lyrics could easy beryllium applied to concerns galore Americans person astir unchecked, massive, amerciable migration during the Joe Biden presidency:

"Quieren al barrio mío y que tus hijos se vayan (They privation my vicinity and privation your children to leave) / No, nary suelte' la bandera ni olvide' el lelolai (No, don’t fto spell of the emblem oregon hide the lelolai) / Que nary quiero que hagan contigo lo que le pasó a Hawái (I don’t privation them to bash to you what happened to Hawaii)."

Bad Bunny performs during the Half Time amusement successful Super Bowl LX astatine Levi's Stadium connected Feb. 8, 2026. (Darren Yamashita/Imagn Images)

Before the show, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell called Bad Bunny "one of the large artists successful the world," saying the performer "understood the level helium was on" and that the level is utilized "to unite radical and bring them unneurotic done creativity and talent."

He didn’t.

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His lone spoken operation successful English — inactive the superior connection of astir Americans — was "God bless America," followed by a database of countries successful Central and South America. The point, of course, was that America — the United States of America — is not peculiar and not thing worthy celebrating.

That’s the occupation with choosing idiosyncratic similar Bad Bunny for the Super Bowl halftime show. His euphony is good connected a beach, a fewer beers in, playing successful the background. But the halftime amusement is expected to beryllium thing else. As Goodell said, it’s expected to unite.

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We’re successful a caller infinitesimal arsenic Americans — a "vibe shift" pursuing the re-election of Donald Trump — wherever we cognize we person thing worthy preserving and celebrating. 

Bad Bunny doesn’t get that, and it showed.

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