"It's An Important Stage For Us": The NFL Boss Responded To MAGA Outrage Over Bad Bunny Super Bowl Halftime Show

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Everybody knows by now that Bad Bunny will be next year's Super Bowl LX halftime show performer.

On Sept. 28, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, a Puerto Rican singer and rapper who is arguably one of the most prominent artists in the world, was announced as the headliner of one of the most-watched TV events.

Since the announcement, right-wing backlash against the Grammy Award-winning pop star flooded the internet, and left many fans and sensible folks scratching their heads at the ridiculousness.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson was asked about the headliner on Oct. 7, and he said, "I didn't even know who Bad Bunny was. But it sounds like a terrible decision, in my view."

When asked why he thought Bad Bunny was a terrible decision, Johnson answered, "It sounds like he's not someone who appeals to a broader audience."

Even Donald Trump joined the criticism during an interview on NewsMax's Greg Kelly Reports, saying, "I've never heard of him. I don't know who he is… I don't know why they're doing it. It's crazy. And then they blame it on some promoter they hired to pick up entertainment — I think it's absolutely ridiculous."

Well, amid the backlash from Republican lawmakers and the MAGA base, the NFL is standing ten toes down behind their decision.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell was firm that the NFL isn't considering replacing Bad Bunny as the headline performer, per Associated Press. "It's carefully thought through," he said. "I'm not sure we've ever selected an artist where we didn't have some blowback or criticism. It's pretty hard to do when you have literally hundreds of millions of people that are watching."

"We're confident it's going to be a great show," Goodell said. "He understands the platform that he's on, and I think it's going to be exciting and a united moment."

Bad Bunny had a hilarious response to the backlash while hosting the Season 50 premiere of Saturday Night Live. "I'm very happy," he said regarding the halftime show. "And I think everyone is happy about it. Even Fox News." Then, he showed clips of Fox News commentators, edited together to say, "Bad Bunny is my favorite musician, and he should be the next president."

NBC / Twitter: @nbcsnl

Just to provide some perspective on what to expect next year — for the 2025 Super Bowl halftime show featuring Kendrick Lamar (an artist GOP lawmakers might consider not broad enough), an average of 133.5 million views across all platforms tuned in, making it one of the most-watched halftime shows in the event's history.

The NFL Commissioner is also confident that Bad Bunny will capture audiences next year. "He's one of the leading and most popular entertainers in the world," he said. "That's what we try to achieve. It's an important stage for us. It's an important element to the entertainment value."

Perhaps Trump and Johnson had no idea who Bad Bunny was, but the NFL, along with the 80+ million people streaming his music, do. Cope harder.

The Super Bowl LV will be held on Feb. 7 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

Bad Bunny's Debí Tirar Más Fotos world tour is set to take place from November 21, 2025, and run through July 22, 2026.

What are your thoughts about Bad Bunny performing at the Super Bowl LX halftime show next year?

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