The viewership battle between Bad Bunny’s official Super Bowl halftime show and Kid Rock’s conservative counterprogramming was never expected to be close, and early numbers suggest it wasn’t.
Initial digital data from the 2026 Super Bowl points to a clear victory for Bad Bunny, even though millions of viewers sampled both broadcasts during halftime.
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 the New England Patriots.
While the official Nielsen ratings have yet to be released, early online indicators show his performance is drawing a far larger audience than Turning Point USA’s rival “All-American Halftime Show.”
Turning Point USA’s pre-recorded alternative, led by Kid Rock and featuring Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice and Gabby Barrett, aired at halftime and ended shortly after the second half began.
According to figures reported by New York Timesthe stream reached as many as 6.1 million concurrent viewers on YouTube.
In contrast, Bad Bunny’s halftime show, which included guest appearances from Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin, appears to be among the most watched in Super Bowl history.
By the afternoon of Monday, February 9, the NFL’s official YouTube upload of the halftime performance had already surpassed 35 million views.
Turning Point USA’s stream had reached around 20 million total views since the post, with most of the audience arriving after the live broadcast ended.
While final TV numbers are still pending, last year’s Super Bowl halftime show headlined by Kendrick Lamar drew 133.5 million viewers, setting a record for the event.
The early digital response suggests that Bad Bunny’s show is following a similar trajectory.
Turning Point USA positioned its show as a response to conservative criticism of the NFL’s choice of performer.
“The All-American Halftime Show is an opportunity for all Americans to enjoy a halftime show with no agenda other than to celebrate faith, family and freedom,” spokesman Andrew Kolvet said ahead of the broadcast.
The debate spilled over into the political arena during the game.
President Donald Trump, who said he didn’t attend the Super Bowl because Levi’s Stadium was too far from Washington, DC, criticized the halftime show on Truth Social while watching 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 says.”
The timing of the post underscored a key point of the night, even some of Bad Bunny’s loudest critics watched the official NFL broadcast, reinforcing the magnitude of the cultural moment and the challenge of pulling viewers away from it.
Kid Rock later shared his own reaction during an appearance on Fox NewsThe ‘Ingrahm angle.
“Like most people, I didn’t understand any of it,” he said of the Spanish-language performance.
“I saw there were a lot of dancers and a lot of big things to do. And you know he said he was going to have a dance party; it looked like he had one.”
He added: “Not my cup of tea, but I don’t blame that kid for making the Super Bowl, being in front of a global audience. I blame the NFL for putting him in that position and turning point to have to come out and have an alternative for people to watch. You know, it’s just — poor kid.”
The Super Bowl itself ended with the Seattle Seahawks beating the New England Patriots 29-13, but when it came to halftime ratings, the early signs clearly point in one direction.
Despite vocal opposition and a well-publicized alternative, Bad Bunny’s performance dominated attention, proving once again how difficult it is to compete with Super Bowl halftime shows.
