Fact Check: Did Coca-Cola threaten to pull Super Bowl sponsorship over Bad Bunny?
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Amid growing backlash over Bad Bunny’s upcoming Super Bowl halftime performance, a viral rumor is stirring controversy online.
According to claims that surfaced in October 2025, Coca-Cola reportedly announced it would no longer sponsor the NFL’s biggest event, just days after the league confirmed the Puerto Rican rapper as the halftime headliner in late September. Is the NFL really losing major sponsors over the announcement?
What is the rumor involving Coca-Cola and Bad Bunny?
A viral Facebook post from the page PR Informa claimed that Coca-Cola CEO James Quincey threatened to pull the company’s sponsorship of the Super Bowl if Bad Bunny is allowed to perform at halftime.
The post featured a bold, attention-grabbing statement: "I WILL END MY SPONSORSHIP OF THE SUPER BOWL IF THEY LET BAD BUNNY PERFORM AT HALFTIME — Coca-Cola CEO James Quincey allegedly Issued Shocking Ultimatum, NFL’s Response Stuns Millions!"
The post went on to say, "The battle over America’s biggest stage has exploded into open confrontation. Coca-Cola CEO James Quincey has allegedly issued an unprecedented ultimatum: either the NFL cancels Bad Bunny’s controversial Super Bowl halftime performance, or the world’s most iconic soft drink brand will walk away from one of its most lucrative sponsorship deals."
It concluded with a dramatic line, "The warning sent shockwaves across the sports and business world, raising questions about culture, commerce, and the true cost of chasing global trends over American traditions."
At the time of writing, the post had generated over 39.7K comments and had been shared more than 5.2K times. Many users appeared to believe the claim.
One commenter wrote, "This is the 2nd time CC do a stupid thing Pepsi is just getting more famous." Another chimed in, "There’s always Pepsi." However, others pushed back against the rumor, with one pointing out, "False info people pepsi is the Main sponsor for the superbowl not coke Lol."
False, Coca-Cola is not even a sponsor of Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show
Although the claim gained traction across social media, fact-checking site Snopes has confirmed that the rumor is false. In an email statement, a Coca-Cola spokesperson clarified, "The Coca-Cola Company is not a Super Bowl sponsor."
The controversy surrounding Bad Bunny’s halftime performance stemmed not only from his Spanish-language music but also from his past criticism of President Donald Trump. However, the claim that Coca-Cola CEO Quincey threatened to pull sponsorship over Bad Bunny’s appearance has been debunked.
In fact, Coca-Cola hasn’t advertised during the Super Bowl since 2020. A company spokesperson confirmed that they last ran ads before the game in 2019 and have not returned as a sponsor since.
The quote attributed to James Quincey appears to be fabricated. The original post was likely generated using artificial intelligence. Two AI detectors flagged the text, noting its excessive length (over 1,500 words), repetitive phrasing, and bombastic tone — all signs suggesting it was AI-generated content.
This article contains remarks made on the internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.
