How Many People Watched the 2026 Halftime Show? Bad Bunny vs. Turning Point USA Ratings
Millions of Americans tuned into Turning Point USA’s own halftime show and Apple Music’s performance starring Bad Bunny. So, which show had the most viewers?
Turning Point USA held its “All-American Halftime Show” during Apple Music’s actual Super Bowl Halftime Show, headlined by Bad Bunny. The NFL’s choice of the “MONACO” hitmaker stirred controversy among conservative Americans, especially supporters of Donald Trump, as they criticized the selection of a Latino artist. Now that both shows have aired, how many people watched them, and which one received the most viewers?
Trump called Bad Bunny’s performance “terrible” and “disgusting” in a lengthy Truth Social post that evening.
“The Super Bowl Halftime Show is absolutely terrible, one of the worst, EVER!” the Republican president wrote. “It makes no sense, is an affront to the Greatness of America, and doesn’t represent our standards of Success, Creativity, or Excellence. Nobody understands a word this guy is saying, and the dancing is disgusting, especially for young children that are watching from throughout the U.S.A., and all over the World.”
We’re breaking down the viewership and ratings for each halftime show performance here.
How Many People Watched the Turning Point USA Halftime Show?
Called the “All-American Halftime Show,” Turning Point USA’s event honoring the late Charlie Kirk attracted 6.1 million concurrent viewers on YouTube on February 8, The New York Times reported.
At the time of publication, the Turning Point USA halftime show had around 20 million views on YouTube.
How Many People Watched Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime Show?
Bad Bunny’s performance is being hailed as the most-watched Super Bowl Halftime Show of all time, with 135 million viewers having tuned in on February 8, according to CBS News. At the time of publication, its YouTube viewership rose to 13 million.
Who Performed at the Turning Point USA Halftime Show?
Kid Rock headlined the “All-American Halftime Show,” and he was joined by Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice and Gabby Barrett.
Who Else Performed During the Super Bowl Halftime Show?
Bad Bunny invited special guest performers Ricky Martin and Lady Gaga to join him on stage. Gaga called the opportunity an “absolute honor” in an Instagram post following the show.
“It was my absolute honor to be a part of Benito’s halftime show,” Mother Monster captioned her post. “Thank you, Benito, for inviting me and thank you to the entire cast for welcoming me onto your stage. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
Ricky, for his part, shared behind-the-scenes photos of himself with Bad Bunny and Gaga in an Instagram carousel. In his caption, the “Livin’ La Vida Loca” hitmaker wrote in Spanish — which has been translated to English — that he needed “several hours to let me understand the tsunami of emotions I am feeling.”