This year’s Super Bowl offered audiences two distinct halftime experiences. The official NFL show featured global Latin superstar Bad Bunny, while conservative group Turning Point USA presented an “All-American” alternative starring Kid Rock. The split led to a cultural clash, with polls and viewership numbers painting a complex picture of what America watched and preferred on February 8, 2026.
Official Show Recap: Bad Bunny Makes Historic Statement
Bad Bunny’s performance at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara was a historic, culture-rich spectacle. As the first artist to headline a completely Spanish-language Super Bowl halftime show, he transformed the field into a vibrant celebration of Puerto Rican and broader Latino identity.
The show was structured as a journey, beginning in a Puerto Rican sugar cane field and moving through scenes of everyday Latin life, including a domino game and a piragua (shaved ice) stand. Special guests were a key part of the narrative. Lady Gaga made a surprise appearance to sing at a real wedding ceremony where Bad Bunny served as a witness. Later, Puerto Rican icon Ricky Martin performed, surrounded by imagery nodding to the island’s frequent power outages.
The setlist was a career-spanning party, featuring massive hits like “Tití Me Preguntó,” “Yo Perreo Sola,” and “Safaera“. The performance concluded with a powerful message of unity. Bad Bunny stated “God bless America,” then named countries across the Americas, holding a football that read, “Together, we are America“.
“My name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, and if I’m here today at Super Bowl 60 it’s because I never, ever stopped believing in myself,” Bad Bunny told the stadium crowd in Spanish.
The creative director behind the show said the goal was to honor those who paved the way and inspire the next generation, a sentiment captured when Bad Bunny handed one of his Grammy awards to a young boy in the audience.
Alternative Show Recap: Kid Rock and the “All-American” Production
Running concurrently, Turning Point USA’s “All-American Halftime Show” was presented as a direct counter to the official event. Headlined by Kid Rock, the show also featured country artists Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice, and Gabby Barrett.
The production had a polished, televised concert feel but was built around a conservative patriotic theme. It included tributes to the late Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. The setlist leaned into anthems of American identity, with Gilbert performing “Real American” and Brice introducing a new song, “Country Nowadays,” which contained lyrics about traditional gender roles.
Kid Rock closed the show, performing his rock-rap hit “Bawitdaba” and a cover of Cody Johnson’s “Til You Can’t,” which he dedicated to the Kirk family. However, his performance of “Bawitdaba” was quickly criticized, as the audio appeared out of sync with his movements, leading to widespread accusations of lip-syncing.
Kid Rock later defended the performance on social media, blaming a post-production error. “When they synced the cameras to my performance on ‘Bawitdaba,’ it did not line up,” he explained. He insisted the performance was pre-recorded but sung live, and that the chaotic nature of the song made syncing difficult.
By the Numbers: Viewership and Poll Results
The two shows reached audiences on vastly different scales, and a popular online poll sparked debate about public preference.
Viewership Estimates:
- Bad Bunny (Official Show): Full official numbers from Nielsen are not yet released. However, the NFL’s Super Bowl broadcast typically draws well over 120 million viewers. The previous year’s halftime show with Kendrick Lamar set a record with 133.5 million viewers.
- Kid Rock (TPUSA Show): The alternative show was streamed primarily on YouTube. Reports indicate it peaked at around 5 to 6.1 million concurrent viewers on that platform during the head-to-head broadcast window. It was also carried on the Christian network TBN.
The TMZ Poll:
In the immediate aftermath, TMZ Sports conducted a poll on X (formerly Twitter) asking who had the better halftime show. The results, drawn from nearly 400,000 votes, showed a strong leaning toward the alternative: 64% voted for Kid Rock, while 36% chose Bad Bunny. The poll was shared widely in conservative circles, with one popular post stating, “America wants English, patriotism, and rock ‘n’ roll at OUR Super Bowl”.
It is crucial to note this was an informal, online opt-in poll, not a scientific survey. Its results likely reflect the enthusiasm of a specific, motivated group rather than the general population. Analysis suggests the outcome was influenced by “brigading,” where fans organize to vote en masse in online polls.
Also Read:
Critical and Public Reactions to Both Performances
Reception to the two shows was divided, often along predictable cultural lines.
Bad Bunny received praise for the show’s high-energy production, cultural authenticity, and message of inclusivity. Celebrities like country singer Kacey Musgraves tweeted that the performance “made me feel more proudly American than anything Kid Rock has ever done”. The creative team noted that despite pre-show criticism from figures like former President Donald Trump, they focused solely on executing Bad Bunny’s vision. Many viewers echoed sentiments like, “I didn’t know what he said … but I loved the show”.
The Kid Rock show was met with mockery from late-night television and music critics, particularly for the lip-sync controversy. Jimmy Kimmel joked about the “lip sync battle with himself”. Rolling Stone described the event as an “overwrought, pyrotechnic-heavy tantrum”. However, within its target audience, it was considered a success for delivering a professionally produced alternative that resonated with their values. Supporters saw it as a needed answer to the NFL’s official choice.
The split on February 8 underscored how entertainment, especially on a stage as large as the Super Bowl, can reflect and amplify broader societal conversations about culture, language, and national identity.
Also Read: New Bulldogs Documentary Trailer Reveals Life in East Palestine After Ohio Train Disaster
For more breaking entertainment news and in-depth analysis of major pop culture events, keep your browser pointed to VvipTimes.
