Bad Bunny draws 128m viewers for fourth most-watched Super Bowl half-time show
By Jessica Coates, Press Association
Bad Bunny’s half-time show was the fourth most-watched Super Bowl performance in the United States, according to viewership data.
The 31-year-old singer, also known as Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, performed Sunday’s set almost entirely in Spanish in tribute to his Puerto Rican heritage and culture.
Nielsen’s Big Data + Panel rating system reported the 2026 half-time show averaged 128.2 million viewers across major television networks and streaming platforms during its 15-minute time slot.
That places it only behind Kendrick Lamar’s 2025 record-setting show, Michael Jackson and Usher.
Lo único más poderoso que el odio, es el amor.
The Only Thing More Powerful Than Hate is Love. @sanbenito #AppleMusicHalftime pic.twitter.com/0VDQlSjet9— NFL (@NFL) February 9, 2026
The main event of the American football season saw the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks collide in a rematch of the 2015 Super Bowl, with the Seahawks emerging 29-13 victors.
The game itself averaged 124.9 million US viewers, down from 127.7 million who watched Philadelphia’s win over Kansas City in 2025.
The half-time show hit a record four billion social media views in the first 24 hours, according to NBC and Ripple Analytics.
More than 55 per cent of the NFL’s social media views came from international markets.
Full global viewership numbers are expected in the next week.
Bad Bunny’s set featured guest performances by Ricky Martin and Lady Gaga, as well as cameos from Cardi B, Jessica Alba and Pedro Pascal.
The announcement that Bad Bunny would headline the half-time show drew criticism from US President Donald Trump.
It also prompted an “alternative” half-time event organised by the conservative non-profit Turning Point USA which was headlined by Kid Rock
Trump said on social media that Bad Bunny’s set was “absolutely terrible” and a “slap in the face” to the country.
Turning Point USA’s alternative show peaked at five million viewers on YouTube, the Associated Press reported.
The video has since surpassed 21 million views on the organisation’s official YouTube channel.
Bad Bunny’s performance posted by the official NFL YouTube page had amassed more than 62 million views by Wednesday.
Fellow Puerto Rican singer Martin wrote on X after his performance: “They need to give me several hours to let me process and understand the tsunami of emotions I’m feeling. Thank you.”
His sentiments were echoed by Lady Gaga, who shared a post on Instagram showing her singing during the set to her 61.8 million followers.
She wrote: “It was my absolute honour to be a part of Benito’s half-time show.
“Thank you Benito for inviting me and thank you to the entire cast for welcoming me onto your stage. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
Bad Bunny has long been a big name in Latin music, but exploded on to the international scene last year with his sixth studio album Debi Tirar Mas Fotos.
The star made history at the Grammys as the first artist to win album of the year for a record sung entirely in Spanish and used his acceptance speech to call for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) officers to leave cities alone and opt for love.
