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Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime Draws 128 Million, Faces Backlash and Fact-Checks

The all‑Spanish set’s message of unity drew enormous engagement that far outpaced a conservative counterprogram.

Overview

  • Nielsen reports an average 128.2 million U.S. viewers for the halftime slot, below Kendrick Lamar’s 2025 record but still among the most watched.
  • NBC and Ripple Analytics say the show generated four billion social views in the first 24 hours, a 137 percent year‑over‑year surge, with global figures expected next week.
  • Turning Point USA’s Kid Rock “All‑American” alternative drew about 6.1 million viewers on YouTube, far short of the official broadcast’s reach.
  • President Trump condemned the performance on Truth Social, while footage from his Super Bowl party showed Bad Bunny’s set playing on the venue’s big screens.
  • DW fact‑checks refuted viral claims that Bad Bunny sat for the U.S. anthem, burned a flag in a circulated image, or handed his Grammy to a child arrested by ICE.