The Super Bowl LX halftime show became not only a musical event, but also a cultural and media phenomenon, fueled by extraordinary audience figures and an unusual “face-off” between two performances aired at the same time: the official show headlined by Bad Bunny and an alternative broadcast led by Kid Rock, organized by the conservative group Turning Point USA.
The simultaneous existence of two halftime formats set a new media precedent. While Bad Bunny’s show was part of the official Super Bowl broadcast, reaching massive global audiences, Kid Rock’s performance was conceived as a political and cultural alternative outside the main game telecast, distributed digitally and without coverage on traditional television networks.
How many people watched the Super Bowl Halftime Show 2026?
The Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny’s performance reached an estimated audience of 135.4 million viewers, according to figures circulated by NBC and reported by international outlets, surpassing the previous record and becoming the most-watched halftime show in Super Bowl history.
Bad Bunny’s official halftime show featured musical collaborations and celebrity appearances including Lady Gaga (who performed a salsa-inspired version of “Die With a Smile”), Ricky Martin (who joined to perform “Lo Que Le Pas a Hawaii”), and a series of cameos and on-stage moments with Pedro Pascal, Cardi B, Jessica Alba, Karol G, Alix Earle, Young Miko, and others, blending star power with cultural celebration throughout his set.
Some preliminary estimates that include digital platforms even suggest numbers closer to 142 million viewers worldwide.
How many people watched Turning Point USA Halftime Show?
The alternative show, streamed mainly via YouTube and other digital platforms, drew significantly smaller numbers. Reports indicate up to 6.1 million concurrent viewers on YouTube, with total accumulated views ranging between 18 and 20 million across different channels.
At the All-American Halftime Show, the alternative event organized by Turning Point USA during Super Bowl LX, Kid Rock headlined the performance alongside country and country-rock artists Brantley Gilbert, Gabby Barrett, and Lee Brice, who took turns on stage delivering a setlist built around their biggest hits and a narrative focused on patriotism, conservative values, and American cultural identity.
Why the gap was so wide?
Media analysts note that the wide gap in viewership reflects not only the difference in global reach between the two artists, but also the overwhelming platform advantage.
Bad Bunny’s show benefited from the unmatched platform of the official Super Bowl broadcast, global distribution, and a carefully curated production designed to appeal to international audiences, which translated into record-breaking viewership and largely positive critical reception.
By contrast, the All-American Halftime Show was intentionally niche-digital-only, politically charged, and aimed at a specific ideological audience-limiting its reach but successfully mobilizing a loyal base.
In that sense, Bad Bunny delivered an unequivocal success both commercially and culturally, while Kid Rock’s event can be considered a mixed result: modest in numbers compared to the Super Bowl standard, but effective in achieving its goal of visibility and engagement within its target audience.
