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Former ESPN announcer Sage Steele said Friday that the problem with Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl LX halftime performance has nothing to do with him being from Puerto Rico.
Steele said on the “Faulkner Focus” with Harris Faulkner that his problem was that Bad Bunny had led “with hate” since he was announced as the game’s musical headliner.
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Bad Bunny speaks on stage at Apple Music’s Super Bowl LX Pregame Press Conference and Super Bowl LX Halftime Show at Moscone Center West on February 5, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)
“I want to point out one thing too,” Steele said. “This isn’t about someone who isn’t American, and Bad Bunny is, but it’s not about that. U2, they’re from Ireland, they gave an incredible performance right after 9/11 over twenty years ago. It’s about, as an artist, you lead with hate, and that’s what Bad Bunny has done since day one.
“When he says, ‘I’m not going to speak your language, you have four months to learn it,’ are you kidding me? It would never be acceptable in his country. So that’s what’s disturbing. Not that he’s from Puerto Rico. That he says he hates us, that he’s not going to take our money, but now he’s doing it.”
Bad Bunny said that American fans needed to learn to speak English before his performance. He attempted to walk back the comment Thursday during his interview with Apple Music before the show.
NFL LEGEND BLAWS LEAGUE FOR CHOOSING BAD BUNNY AS HALFTIME ARTIST: ‘ANYTHING FOR MONEY’
Bad Bunny receives the award for Album of the Year at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards, broadcast live Sunday, February 1, 2026 on the CBS Television Network and streaming live and on-demand on Paramount+. (Stewart Cook/CBS via Getty Images)
Steele praised Turning Point USA for offering fans an alternative halftime show for those who don’t like Bad Bunny’s music or politics. He added that he knows why the NFL chooses Bad Bunny from a business perspective.
“I love that there’s an alternative,” Steele said. “That’s what America is about and I give TPUSA a lot of credit for doing it. I think it was needed more than ever. However, I think more people will probably go ahead and watch the Super Bowl halftime show with Bad Bunny if for no other reason, because a lot of times people hate watching it just to see how bad it’s going to be. Unfortunately, he made it very clear. He said, I don’t speak English. I’m singing in Spanish. You have four months to learn the language.” And I think that’s the part, along with the hate and the talk about ICE, etc., that makes so many people upset.
Bad Bunny accepts the award for Album of the Year for Debí Tirar Más Fotos at the 68th annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, on February 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
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“However, what we have to remember is that this is a business decision. Two years ago, only two other NFL games were played in other countries. Last season, three, and in 2025, five games. All the commissioner cares about right now is growing the game and they want to be in more countries. They don’t care what the players who were interviewed say, or what the fans say. This is about the business of the NFL and making it more global.”
