Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime performance, dubbed the «Benito Bowl» by fans, attracted an average of 128.2 mln viewers on February 8, according to Nielsen. That figure surpasses this year’s Super Bowl average of 124.9 mln viewers, but falls short of Kendrick Lamar’s record 133.5 mln viewers last year, which had overtaken Usher’s 2024 performance.
Social Media and Streaming Surge
The show also shattered social media records for the NFL. The top three most-viewed NFL posts ever came from Bad Bunny’s performance: his «Only Thing More Powerful Than Hate Is Love» clip garnered 181 mln Instagram views, a clip listing the Americas before spiking a football reached 168 mln views on Instagram and 100 mln on TikTok. Apple Music reported a sevenfold increase in streams of Bad Bunny’s songs following the performance, led by hits including «DtMF,» «BAILE INoLVIDABLE» and «Tití Me Preguntó.»
More than half of the social media views were international, and with global viewership data expected next week, the overall audience could rise well above the U.S.-only 124.9 mln viewers.
Controversy and Cultural Celebration
The halftime show made headlines months in advance, partly due to Bad Bunny’s global popularity and partly due to criticism from right-wing commentators for highlighting his Puerto Rican heritage. Conservative group Turning Point U.S.A. attempted an alternative halftime show featuring Kid Rock, but it drew a peak of only 6.1 mln YouTube viewers and 21 mln overall, far below Bad Bunny’s 57 mln YouTube views.
Bad Bunny’s performance featured dramatic stunts, a live wedding, appearances from Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin, and 380 performers dressed as grass, earning praise for its spectacle and cultural celebration.
Kursiv also reports that President Donald Trump used social media during the Super Bowl to criticise Bad Bunny’s halftime performance.
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