Bad Bunny crushes TPUSA halftime viewership

[Stephan Bobb]

Bad Bunny crushes TPUSA halftime viewership

Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl 60 halftime performance drew massive global attention, with some estimates placing viewership at around 135 million, potentially surpassing the 2025 record set by Kendrick Lamar. Turning Point USA’s Kid Rock-led “All-American Halftime Show” attracted millions online but remained far behind the NFL broadcast in audience size. The competing events highlighted cultural and political divides, with TPUSA pledging to return in 2027 despite mixed reviews and accusations that Kid Rock lip-synced.

Bad Bunny’s historic Super Bowl moment

Insider estimates reported by College Sports Network suggest Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl 60 halftime show may have drawn about 135 million viewers, surpassing the previous record of 133.5 million set by Kendrick Lamar in 2025. The show, featuring guest appearances from Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin, followed projections from The Independent of around 127.7 million viewers before broadcast. Official Nielsen ratings are expected to confirm whether this performance becomes the most-watched halftime show in history. Sporting News + 2

TPUSA’s alternative draws millions but lags far behind

Turning Point USA’s ‘All-American Halftime Show,’ headlined by Kid Rock with Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice, and Gabby Barrett, peaked at about 5.2–5.7 million concurrent viewers on YouTube according to Sporting News and Primetimer. By early Monday, Newsweek reported the YouTube stream had nearly 19 million views, and additional streams on other platforms contributed to the total audience. This was still far smaller than the Super Bowl’s typical halftime viewership, which has exceeded 100 million for nearly two decades. Sporting News + 4

Political and cultural tensions on display

The competing halftime shows became a flashpoint in broader cultural debates, with TPUSA promoting themes of ‘faith, family, and freedom’ and critics dismissing it as a political stunt. President Trump sharply criticized Bad Bunny’s performance as “absolutely terrible” and inappropriate for American audiences. Bad Bunny’s show included symbolic gestures, such as a football inscribed with “Together, we are America” and a nod to his anti-ICE stance. Washington Examiner + 2

Kid Rock faces lip-syncing backlash

Kid Rock’s headline set drew online criticism after viewers accused him of lip-syncing, with clips showing his microphone lowered while pre-recorded audio played. Social media posts mocked the performance as an embarrassment, while others questioned its ‘family-friendly’ billing given certain lyrics. Despite the backlash, TPUSA leaders praised the show and confirmed plans to make it an annual event starting in 2027. Primetimer + 3