The ratings battle between Bad Bunny’s official Super Bowl halftime show and Kid Rock’s conservative counterprogramming wasn’t expected to be close, and early numbers suggest that wasn’t the case.
Early digital data for the 2026 Super Bowl points to a clear Bad Bunny victory, even though millions of viewers sampled both halftime shows.
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 New England Patriots.
Although official Nielsen ratings have not yet been released, early online indicators show that its performance attracts a much larger audience than Turning Point USA’s rival, the “All-American Halftime Show.”
The pre-recorded alternate from Turning Point USA, directed by Kid Rock and featuring Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice and Gabby Barrett, aired during halftime and ended shortly after the start of the second half.
According to figures reported by the New York Timesthe stream reached up to 6.1 million concurrent viewers on YouTube.
In contrast, Bad Bunny’s halftime show, which included appearances by Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin, appears to be one of the most watched in Super Bowl history.
As of the afternoon of Monday, February 9, the NFL’s official YouTube upload of the halftime performance had already surpassed 35 million views.
The Turning Point USA stream has reached around 20 million total views since it was posted, with most of that audience arriving after the live stream ended.
While final television numbers are still pending, last year’s Super Bowl halftime show, headlined by Kendrick Lamar, attracted 133.5 million viewers, setting a record for the event.
Early digital reactions suggest the Bad Bunny series is following a similar trajectory.
Turning Point USA positioned its show as a response to conservative criticism of the NFL’s choice of artist.
“The All-American Halftime Show is an opportunity for all Americans to enjoy a halftime show with no other purpose than to celebrate faith, family and freedom,” spokesman Andrew Kolvet said before the broadcast.
The debate spilled over onto the political scene during the match.
President Donald Trump, who said he did not attend the Super Bowl because Levi’s Stadium was too far from Washington, D.C., criticized the halftime show on Truth Social as he watched it 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 is saying.”
The timing of the post underscored a key point of the evening: Even some of Bad Bunny’s most vocal critics were watching the official NFL broadcast, reinforcing the magnitude 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“Ingrahm’s angle.
“Like most people, I didn’t understand anything,” he said of the Spanish-language show.
“I saw there were a lot of dancers and a lot of things to do. And, you know, he said he wanted to have a dance party; it looked like he was having one.”
He added: “It’s not my cup of tea, but I don’t blame this kid for going to the Super Bowl and showing up in front of a worldwide audience. I blame the NFL for putting him in this position and Turning Point for having to come out and have an alternative to watch. You know, he’s just… poor kid.”
The Super Bowl itself ended with the Seattle Seahawks beating the New England Patriots 29-13, but when it comes to halftime viewership, the early signs are clearly pointing in one direction.
Despite vocal opposition and a high-profile alternative, Bad Bunny’s performance dominated the attention, proving once again how difficult it is to compete with the Super Bowl halftime show.
