Staff Reports
The NFL officially announced today that Bad Bunny will headline the Super Bowl LX halftime show on February 8, 2026, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara — a choice that should alarm any fan who still believes the league cares about traditional American values. The announcement came from the NFL alongside Apple Music and Roc Nation, and it represents another baffling step away from mainstream, family-friendly entertainment.
Bad Bunny is indisputably a global pop force — a multi-Grammy-winning artist and cultural phenomenon whose music and style have upended the industry — and plenty of people will cheer that achievement. But acclaim and popularity do not erase the fact that this pick is a conscious programming decision by the NFL and its producers to center a very specific political and cultural brand on the biggest stage in American sports.
This is especially galling coming from an artist who has publicly criticized U.S. immigration enforcement and even sidestepped touring the continental United States because of concerns about ICE, only to accept the league’s invitation to perform on American soil. Fans have a right to ask whether the Super Bowl — paid for by American advertisers and watched by families nationwide — should spotlight performers who have loudly preached political grievances.
Bad Bunny’s fashion and stage persona deliberately push the boundaries of gender norms, and he has openly embraced feminine clothing and LGBTQ allyship as part of his public image. Conservatives aren’t inventing this; it’s how he presents himself, and millions of Americans will be forced to watch it unfold live during what used to be a broadly patriotic halftime spectacle.
Predictably, the pick has sparked an immediate backlash from conservative commentators and everyday fans who see the move as another nail in the NFL’s credibility coffin. Right-leaning voices on social media blasted the league within minutes of the announcement, pointing out Bad Bunny’s political stances and questioning the league’s priorities; this isn’t isolated grumbling, it’s organized outrage from a large segment of the audience.
Let’s call it what it is: a league that repeatedly punts on tradition and panders to woke tastemakers will lose the trust of the patriotic, hard-working Americans who made pro football a national institution. The NFL and its corporate partners can package any act they want with glossy PR and celebrity endorsements, but they cannot paper over the fact that many fans want football and halftime entertainment that reflects the values they bring to the stadiums and their living rooms.
Advertisers and sponsors should take note — loyalty is not infinite. When a product or a broadcast consistently sidelines the mainstream and elevates performers who openly oppose American institutions, consumers will vote with their attention and their wallets. Conservative viewers should demand accountability from the NFL, Apple Music, and the brands bankrolling halftime excesses.
If the league wants to survive as more than an urban fashion show that doubles as a political podium, it should start listening to the millions of Americans who feel alienated by these choices. Until then, expect more headlines about falling ratings, outraged fans, and a league increasingly at odds with the country it claims to represent.
