{"id":107144,"date":"2026-02-09T13:27:10","date_gmt":"2026-02-09T13:27:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/?p=107144"},"modified":"2026-02-09T13:27:12","modified_gmt":"2026-02-09T13:27:12","slug":"bad-bunny-super-bowl-halftime-show-potentially-breaks-records","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/bad-bunny-super-bowl-halftime-show-potentially-breaks-records\/","title":{"rendered":"Bad Bunny may have broken Super Bowl halftime viewership records"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Yesterday, Bad Bunny delivered an all-Spanish-language Super Bowl halftime show, with unofficial data claiming broken records.<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The highly anticipated NFL Super Bowl took place yesterday in Santa Clara, which of course means that Bad Bunny performed the hotly debated halftime show. Less than a day later, claims have been made that viewership data surpassed that of Kendrick Lamar’s performance last year, as well as suggestions of record engagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the Puerto Rican trap artist, whose real name is Benito Antonio Mart\u00ednez Ocasio, was first announced to be playing the Super Bowl halftime show, it sparked discussion and (for some) dissatisfaction. There were questions around why a Spanish-speaking performer would be performing for one of America’s biggest sporting events – particularly from the MAGA corner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bad Bunny recently won a Grammy Award for Best Album of the Year, for his latest album “DeB\u00cd TiRAR M\u00e1S FOToS”, making history with the first Spanish language album to claim the top prize. The rapper began his acceptance speech by saying, “ICE out”, in reference to the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Media outlets were poised for the halftime show to be a political moment, opposing the Trump Administration and ICE. However, Bad Bunny’s 15-minute or so performance was a love-fuelled cry for a United America, with the phrase “The only thing for powerful than hate is love” beaming out from a giant display screen in the stadium, as Bad Bunny proudly listed each country that makes up the Americas. It was a defiant moment of cultural pride, rather than political disdain. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although President Trump stated on Truth Social that the show was “absolutely terrible, one of the worst EVER” and claimed that, “nobody understands a word this guy is saying” – despite around 14-18% of people in the US speaking Spanish at home – there have been claims that viewership records were broken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apple, who presents the Super Bowl halftime show, has claimed that Bad Bunny’s performance generated record engagement around the world and was the most-watched in Super Bowl history, according to 9to5mac<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There have also been claims made online<\/a> that Bad Bunny’s performance garnered 135.4 million viewers, topping Kendrick Lamar’s 133.5 million viewers. However, this claim is yet to be verified, and comes from the X account @DemocraticWins, so a potential bias could be at play here. The official figures for Super Bowl viewership data comes from Nielsen, and are usually released a few days after the event. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apple has also pointed out that fans can rewatch the show and listen to the full set list on Apple Music, as 9to5mac points out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Top 10 most-streamed artists of all-time on Spotify in 2026<\/a><\/blockquote>