As many are aware, Rap music icon Bad Bunny headlined the Super Bowl LX halftime show last Sunday. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Bunny's performance attracted an average of 128.2 million viewers, surpassing the overall game viewership, which averaged 124.9 million viewers.
However, both viewership numbers represent a slight decline compared to last year. The game’s audience decreased by 2.2% from last year’s 127.1 million viewers, while the halftime show’s viewership dropped by 3.97% from the 133.5 million viewers who watched Kendrick Lamar's performance in the previous year. Despite this decline, both figures rank as the second-most watched in Super Bowl history.
Bunny's performance faced criticism from conservative circles, primarily due to his outspoken comments against ICE, his predominantly Spanish-language music catalog, and his advocacy for various social causes. Jake Paul publicly criticized the performance in real-time, labeling Bunny a “fake American citizen.” He later clarified that he meant someone who is an American citizen but critiques the U.S. Additionally, Turning Point USA hosted an “alternative” halftime show featuring WWE Hall of Fame celebrity Kid Rock, which reached a peak of 6.1 million concurrent viewers on YouTube, according to the New York Times.
In contrast, WWE star Seth Rollins praised Bunny's performance on Good Morning Football, describing the messaging as "beautiful."
