The ratings battle between Bad Bunny’s official Super Bowl halftime show and Kid Rock’s conservative counterprogramming was never expected to be close, and early numbers suggest it wasn’t.
Initial digital data from the 2026 Super Bowl points to a clear victory for Bad Bunny, even as millions of viewers sampled both broadcasts during halftime.
Bad Bunny headlined the NFL’s Apple Music Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday, February 8 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, during the game between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots.
While official Nielsen ratings have not yet been released, early online indicators show that its performance attracted a much larger audience than Turning Point USA’s rival, “All-American Halftime Show.”
The pre-recorded Turning Point USA alternative, directed by Kid Rock and featuring Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice and Gabby Barrett, aired during halftime and concluded shortly after the second half began.
According to figures reported by the New York TimesThe broadcast reached 6.1 million simultaneous viewers on YouTube.
By contrast, Bad Bunny’s halftime show, which included guest appearances by Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin, appears to be among the most watched in Super Bowl history.
By the afternoon of Monday, February 9, the official upload of the NFL’s halftime performance on YouTube had already surpassed 35 million views.
The Turning Point USA stream had reached around 20 million total views since its release, with the majority of that audience coming after the live stream ended.
While final television numbers are still pending, last year’s Super Bowl halftime show, headlined by Kendrick Lamar, drew 133.5 million viewers, setting a record for the event.
Initial digital response suggests that Bad Bunny’s show is following a similar trajectory.
Turning Point USA positioned its show as a response to conservative criticism of the NFL’s casting of the artist.
“The All-American Halftime Show is an opportunity for all Americans to enjoy a halftime show with no agenda other than celebrating faith, family and freedom,” spokesman Andrew Kolvet said before the broadcast.
The debate led to the political arena during the game.
President Donald Trump, who said he didn’t attend the Super Bowl because Levi’s Stadium was too far from Washington, D.C., criticized the halftime show on Truth Social while watching from his golf club in West Palm Beach.
“The Super Bowl halftime show is absolutely terrible, one of the worst ever!” Trump wrote, adding that “no one understands a word this guy says.”
The timing of the release underscored a key point of the night — even some of Bad Bunny’s loudest critics were watching the official NFL broadcast, reinforcing the scale of the cultural moment and the challenge of distancing viewers from it.
Kid Rock later shared his own reaction during an appearance on fox news‘The Ingrahm angle.
“Like most people, I didn’t understand any of it,” he said of performing in Spanish.
“I saw there were a lot of dancers and a lot of important things to do. And, you know, he said he wanted to have a dance party; it looked like he had one.”
He added: “It’s not my cup of tea, but I don’t blame that kid for being in the Super Bowl, being in front of a global audience. I blame the NFL for putting him in that position and Turning Point for having to come out and have an alternative for people to see him. You know, he’s just… poor kid.”
The Super Bowl concluded with the Seattle Seahawks’ 29-13 victory over the New England Patriots, but when it comes to halftime viewership, the early signs are clearly pointing in one direction.
Despite vocal opposition and a well-publicized alternative, Bad Bunny’s performance dominated the spotlight, proving once again how difficult it is to compete at the Super Bowl halftime show.
