Following the Seahawks’ 29-13 victory in last night’s Super Bowl LX against the Patriotis, much of the conversation continues to center around the halftime show.
After the second quarter, Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny took the stage at center field at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Simultaneously, Turning Point USA streamed its own alternative “Halftime Show,” featuring Kid Rock, Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice, and Gabby Barrett.
The split in viewership, now being viewed by many as part of a broader political divide, has sparked widespread debate online, with fans weighing in on both performances. While official viewership numbers are still being finalized, Google Trends shows that “how many people watched the halftime show 2026” is currently the fourth most-searched topic, with more than 2 million searches.
As of now, TPUSA’s YouTube livestream has amassed nearly 20 million views with a reported 6.1 million concurrent viewers, not including viewership from other platforms and live TV. Meanwhile, fueled by his massive global fanbase, Bad Bunny drew viewers well beyond the traditional NFL audience. His performance reportedly surpassed 135 million views, earning it the title of the most-watched halftime show of all time.
During the “All-American” alternative show, its patriotic-heavy theme included a tribute to late-founder Charlie Kirk, along with Kid Rock performing (and since releasing) his version of Cody Johnson’s “Til You Can’t.” Lee Brice also took his slot on the stage as an opportunity to debut his new song, “Country Nowadays,” which was written in honor of Kirk. Obviously, as the internet continues to erupt, there has been no lack of mixed opinions on either side.
For a lot of those who opted to flip to this Kid Rock-led show, many expressed their supportive reviews and, of course, opposition to Bad Bunny:
While others criticized what was seen as a “lackluster” calling out Kid Rock’s poor vocals and the non-necessity of a second Super Bowl halftime show:
As well as a number of people praising Bad Bunny’s performance:
Despite its mixed reviews, the Turning Point Half Time Show has apparently set a precedent and will be returning for next year’s Super Bowl. Andrew Kolvet, spokesperson from TPUSA, claims that over 20 million views just on socials alone tuned in last night. Given the success, Kolvet told FOX News, “It’s blown our minds tonight. So we are gonna commit to doing this again, next year. We’re gonna do another half-time show for the country.” Adding on, “If you give us a year to plan this thing, I’m really excited to see what we can pull off.”
As fans continue to argue online over Sunday’s halftime show, one comment is arguably the best option to unify this divide: