NFL Faces Mounting Backlash Over Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime Slot: Boycott Calls Intensify as Cultural Clash Erupts

By Grok News Desk October 13, 2025 — The National Football League is bracing for a potential storm of controversy as Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny gears up to headline the Apple Music Super Bowl LX halftime show on February 8, 2026, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Announced on September 28 by the NFL, Apple Music, and Roc Nation, the decision has ignited a firestorm of outrage from conservative circles, with fans vowing to boycott both the artist and the league if the performance goes ahead.

Outrage has erupted across social media and political platforms, with many critics accusing the NFL of abandoning “American cultural values” in favor of what they deem “anti-family” and “demonic” entertainment. Bad Bunny, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, has long been a polarizing figure due to his outspoken advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights, criticism of U.S. immigration policies, and performances featuring reggaeton and Latin trap music predominantly in Spanish. His selection—praised by supporters as a celebration of Puerto Rican resilience and global Latin influence—has drawn sharp rebukes from high-profile conservatives, including former President Donald Trump and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.).

Trump, speaking on Newsmax, labeled the choice “absolutely ridiculous,” tying it to broader immigration debates amid threats from Trump administration officials to deploy Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents at the event. Greene went further on X, decrying the anticipated show as a “demonic sexual performance” and renewing calls for English to be declared the U.S. official language, suggesting Bad Bunny’s Spanish-heavy setlist demands Americans “learn Spanish in four months.” In a viral X post, Greene wrote: “The NFL needs to stop having demonic sexual performances.”

The backlash has manifested in boycott pledges flooding X, where users have decried the NFL’s “woke” direction. One post from conservative influencer TONYxTWO garnered nearly 49,000 likes, arguing the show promotes “debauchery, disgusting, anti-American, anti-family things.” Others, like user @Doone2u, fumed: “A halftime show in Spanish???? by a gross performer???? Deserving of a boycott.” Hashtags such as #BoycottNFL and #NoMoreBadBunny have trended sporadically, with some fans threatening to skip the game entirely. Reports of plummeting ticket sales and sponsorship jitters remain unconfirmed by the league, but industry insiders whisper of internal scrambling to mitigate fallout before viewership projections take a hit.

Adding fuel to the fire, Turning Point USA (TPUSA), the conservative youth organization led by Charlie Kirk, announced its “All American Halftime Show” as a direct counterprogram. Billed as a family-friendly alternative celebrating “faith, family, and freedom,” the event aims to siphon viewers from the official broadcast. Kirk emphasized in a statement that the protest targets perceived “anti-American” content, not Bad Bunny’s heritage: “We’re sick & tired of seeing debauchery pushed in our faces on a day that should be for everybody.” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) echoed the sentiment, calling the booking “a terrible decision” and floating country singer Lee Greenwood as a more “broadly appealing” option—despite Greenwood’s far smaller streaming footprint compared to Bad Bunny’s 80 million monthly Spotify listeners.

Rumors swirled earlier this week that Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones had spearheaded a petition to oust Bad Bunny, complete with a fabricated quote: “Any artist with American blood has my support but that Latin guy? Not a chance.” The claim, which alleged threats of a player strike, spread like wildfire on social media but was swiftly debunked as a hoax by multiple outlets, including Hindustan Times and fact-checking sites. No such statement exists from Jones or the Cowboys, and the viral graphic originated from low-credibility meme accounts. Jones, a known Trump supporter, has remained silent on the matter, focusing instead on his team’s middling 3-4 start to the season.

On the flip side, Bad Bunny’s defenders view the uproar as a manufactured culture war. In his first major response since the announcement, the 31-year-old artist mocked critics during his October 4 monologue on

Saturday Night Live, delivering heartfelt Spanish remarks thanking Latino fans and highlighting their U.S. contributions. Supporters on X, including @Karley_O, have pledged counter-boycotts: “We will boycott every single Superbowl… if you remove Bad Bunny.” Bad Bunny himself framed the gig as a tribute to his roots, stating: “This is for my people, my culture, and our history. Ve y dile a tu abuela, que seremos el HALFTIME SHOW DEL SUPER BOWL.”

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Roc Nation founder Jay-Z have yet to address the boycott calls directly. Goodell, in a pre-announcement memo, touted Bad Bunny’s “global energy and cultural vibrancy” as key to drawing diverse audiences, following Kendrick Lamar’s record-breaking 2025 performance. Jay-Z added: “We are honored to have him on the world’s biggest stage.” Analysts predict the league’s silence may not hold, with revenue stakes high—Super Bowl viewership topped 123 million last year, and alienating core fans could dent the $7 billion annual broadcast deal.

As the 2026 big game looms four months away, the divide underscores deeper tensions over identity, language, and entertainment in America’s pastime. Will the boycott gain traction, or will Bad Bunny’s star power prevail? For now, the NFL’s end zone feels farther than ever.