NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell pushed back against the conservative backlash surrounding Bad Bunny’s upcoming Super Bowl halftime show, saying, “I think it’s going to be an exciting and united moment.”
Goodell made his first remarks on the subject while speaking with reporters on Wednesday, October 22, during the NFL’s fall meeting. “He’s one of the most popular entertainers in the world,” Goodell said about Bad Bunny, according to The Athletic. “That’s what we try to achieve. It’s an important element to the entertainment value. It’s carefully thought through. I would say I’m not sure we’ve ever selected an artist where we didn’t have some blowback or criticism. We have hundreds of millions of people watching, but I have full confidence it’ll be a good show.”
His comments arrive as conservative voices continue to express outrage over the selection of the Puerto Rican superstar. Right-wing figures and politicians — including President Donald Trump — have criticized Bad Bunny for speaking out against Trump’s immigration policies and for performing in Spanish. A petition has even circulated online calling for the NFL to replace Bad Bunny with George Strait.
Goodell made it clear that the league has no plans to replace Bad Bunny, although he mentioned that other performers may join him on stage, as has happened with past halftime shows. “The show will evolve from here. Not saying there won’t be additional talent, but that’s always the way it works,” he said.
Bad Bunny was announced as the headliner for the Super Bowl LX halftime show in September, shortly after wrapping his record-breaking 31-day residency at El Coliseo de Puerto Rico. When he takes the stage on February 8, 2026, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, he will become the first artist in halftime show history to perform entirely in Spanish.
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