NFL Defends Bad Bunny Super Bowl Halftime Show Decision

The NFL stands behind their choice of Bad Bunny as its Super Bowl XL halftime headline performer, Commissioner Roger Goodell said Wednesday, despite criticism from the White House and conservatives.

Bad Bunny, a Grammy award-winning Puerto Rican has come under fire for his criticism of the current US administration, and for stating that his set on February 8th, 2026, at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, will be performed entirely in Spanish.

Bad Bunny has also taken heat from people claiming he is not a US citizen, despite being born in Puerto Rico, which is part of the US.

It's a bit of a moot point, though, considering that many prior halftime performers were not US citizens, including Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, U2, Rihanna, Enrique Iglesias, The Weeknd, Coldplay, Shakira, Sting, Shania Twain and Phil Collins.

"It's carefully thought through," Goodell said, regarding the entertainment selection. "I'm not sure we've ever selected an artist where we didn't have some blowback or criticism. It's pretty hard to do when you have literally hundreds of millions of people that are watching."

The Super Bowl will air on NBC (Broadcast) and Peacock (Streaming).

A nonprofit organization promoting conservative politics is planning an alternative halftime show option.

Bad Bunny (Photo credit: Eric Rojas)