Fact Check: Is Bad Bunny performing for free at the Super Bowl LX Halftime show?
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA: Following the much-anticipated and debated Super Bowl LX Halftime show on Sunday, February 8, a claim has been circulating on different platforms that Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, professionally known as Bad Bunny, will perform the halftime show for free.
Let us analyze the origins of the claim and fact-check its authenticity.
Claim: Bad Bunny will perform at the Super Bowl show for free
The Puerto Rican superstar and recent Grammy Album of the Year winner will make history on Sunday as the headliner of the Super Bowl LX halftime show, a first for a Spanish-language Latin solo artist at the NFL’s biggest event.
Ahead of the performance, rumors began circulating that Bad Bunny would perform for free at the widely-watched sporting event.
Fact Check: True
It is indeed true that the Puerto Rican singer will be performing for free at the Super Bowl despite all his success.
The Super Bowl halftime show has become a key platform for artists like The Weeknd, Dr Dre, and Kendrick Lamar in the past, who have seen an obvious increase in visibility and streaming following their performances.
Because of this breakthrough, artists and performers, including Bad Bunny, participate in the halftime show for free, apart from a standard union-mandated fee through the SAG-AFTRA to get them on board.
Artists are paid through publicity, marketing exposure, and the chance to perform for millions of viewers across the country. Performers are often so eager to create an unforgettable show that they spend their own money on big stage setups or fancy props to improve their performance.
Following their Super Bowl halftime performances, artists such as Maroon 5, Kendrick Lamar and Justin Timberlake have seen significant boosts in sales and streaming.
Getting chosen to perform at the Super Bowl is often viewed as a major milestone that indicates an artist's success in the industry.
Super Bowl through a political lens
The Super Bowl isn't just a football spectacle; it’s become a symbol of broader debates over culture, identity, and political debates in the US.
In today’s polarized climate, Bad Bunny’s very presence on the halftime stage is being read through a political lens.
The artist is facing heavy political criticism, most notably from President Donald Trump.
While the president attended last year’s game, he has ruled out a trip to Super Bowl LX, criticizing the NFL’s choice of Bad Bunny and Green Day as “terrible.”
During an interview, Trump stated, “I’m anti-them. I think it’s a terrible choice.”
