The suits at the NFL are reportedly in crisis mode after their carefully orchestrated halftime spectacle featuring Bad Bunny didn’t go quite as planned. What was meant to be a triumphant celebration of “diversity and inclusion” turned into a cautionary tale when millions of viewers heard songs being sung in a language most did not understand while men were seen griding on each other, and decided to click away to watch a competing livestream called the All-American Halftime Show. Jorge L. Rodríguez from the Institute of Economic Freedom for Puerto Rico reports that the league’s marketing strategists expected no more than three million defectors. They got over six, and that’s just on YouTube and Rumble.
That alternate broadcast, produced by Turning Point USA, peaked at 6.1 million live viewers. It wasn’t just a stunt. Rodríguez says it was the most-watched livestream in U.S. history on YouTube and the second biggest worldwide, tied with the Brazil vs. Croatia Quarterfinal match, World Cup, in 2022 (also 6.1 million). The number one spot is still held by Chandrayaan-3 Mission Soft-landing LIVE, August 23, 2023 (8.09 million). Now it looks like the halftime show was way down in viewership this year over last year, that’s millions of dollars in lost revenue.
Yeah. 26m households watched. Viewership fell short by 39% of Kendrick Lamar’s performance last year.
Millions simply changed the channel or turned it off. pic.twitter.com/EMbu35CRBW
— Snarknado ⚓️ 🇺🇸 (@ZannSuz) February 11, 2026
Let’s put this into monetary terms:@NBCSports was likely projecting a 3 to 4% increase from last year instead they got a 9% decrease.
That amounts to about $120 million in ad revenue lost.
Say it with me. Go woke go…
— Pro-America | Politics & Markets (@Pro__Trading) February 11, 2026
The NFL, built on decades of cultural dominance, was outdrawn by an upstart streaming event that had only five months of prep time. That’s what panic looks like in a boardroom where the PowerPoint says “engagement metrics” instead of “audience backlash.” But this tragectory was set in place over a decade ago with bizarre decisions by Roger Goodell’s NFL.
Executives probably assumed the novelty of a very popular Latin artist rapping in Spanish, shouting down ICE, insulting Trump, demanding illegal immigrants get citizenship, and celebrating drag queens, hyper-feminization of men, and “diversity,” would intimidate any and all competitors into silence. After all, the only other notable alternate programming up until this year was the Puppy Bowl.
Instead, the NFL booking sparked a revolt. After it was first announced, Bad Bunny told audiences they had four months to learn Spanish, and on game day, those that once lived for the halftime spectacle had grown tired of being lectured between car commercials and beer promos. They didn’t want another corporate PSA about identity. They wanted a show that reflected the American spirit they grew up cheering for on Sundays. Was that too much to ask for in the year of America’s 250th anniversary?
And who expected Kid Rock (a.k.a. Robert Ritchie) to promote Jesus Christ in his closing song? I certainly didn’t. Kid Rock also outperformed Bad Bunny on the iTunes chart following their competing halftime shows, marking a symbolic win for “new media” according to Breitbart.
Kid Rock Super Bowl halftime show - “Till You Can’t” ✞ Full Performance
On YouTube, the All-American Halftime Show has now topped well over 21 million views. That’s doesn’t count its broadcast numbers, where it aired on TNN and other smaller networks. The NFL’s own post-event Bad Bunny performance replay video, pushed through every official account and sponsor tie-in imaginable, sits at around 55 million. When the underdog achieves nearly half your numbers with none of your corporate backing, and only a few months of planning, that’s not market expansion, it’s a red flag waving over a collapsing brand.
Once again, the industry infected with its own cultural ideology is being reminded who actually pays the bills. The same top-heavy mindset that gutted Budweiser’s beer sales and Disney’s theme park profits is now coming for the gridiron, and it’s long overdue. The veneer of performative wokeness, centered on sensitivity, diversity, LGBTQ+ virtue signaling, and safe-space marketing, has taken over of what used to be a worldwide symbol of rugged American pride. If the last few years have proven anything, it’s that no amount of ESG slogans or DEI scorecards can stop the audience from walking out when the show stops being fun.
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