Bad Bunny Half-Time Show Marks NFL Milestone

Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime performance will mark a historic milestone as the first primarily Spanish-language headlining act for the event, capping off an exceptional career year for the Grammy-winning Puerto Rican superstar (born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio).

The show draws massive attention amid political controversy: President Trump has publicly criticized the selection, calling it a "terrible choice" that "sows hatred" and stating he won't attend, while labeling himself "anti-them" regarding Bad Bunny and added opening ceremony performers Green Day (whose frontman Billie Joe Armstrong has opposed Trump and ICE policies). 

Homeland Security advisor Corey Lewandowski noted ICE would patrol during the performance. Experts anticipate political elements, with professor Vanessa Diaz (author of the forthcoming book How Bad Bunny Became the Global Voice of Puerto Rican Resistance) describing the entire show as inherently political, given Bad Bunny's past criticisms of the Trump administration's immigration policies and his statement that "Spanish is part of me; it’s in my DNA.

"Despite the spotlight's value, Bad Bunny receives no direct payment beyond a union-mandated minimum (a few hundred dollars). Super Bowl headliners traditionally perform for free in exchange for unparalleled exposure—reaching hundreds of millions live and generating massive post-show boosts in streams, sales, and tours.

Previous examples highlight the economic upside: Kendrick Lamar's 2025 halftime show averaged 133.5 million viewers (with 157 million YouTube views), sparked a 430% stream surge for "Not Like Us," and fueled a stadium tour with SZA that grossed nearly $360 million, helping Lamar rank as the world's fourth-highest-paid musician ($109 million pre-tax/fees) and SZA 20th ($34 million).

Recent artists like The Weeknd (2021) and Dr. Dre (2022) invested millions personally to elevate productions, backed by NFL/Apple Music budgets often exceeding $10 million.

Bad Bunny earned $66 million in 2025 (pre-tax/fees, ranking No. 10 among musicians), per Forbes, boosted by a sold-out Puerto Rico residency and Hollywood roles in Happy Gilmore 2 (with Adam Sandler) and Caught Stealing (with Austin Butler). 

His February 8 appearance—his only 2026 U.S. show amid his tour skipping the country over ICE concerns—offers huge promotional potential for music, tours, and cultural impact through Roc Nation's artist selection process (led by Jay-Z since 2019, emphasizing diversity).