This is an adapted excerpt from the Sept. 29 episode of “The Beat with Ari Melber.”
For all the ways different people see different realities these days — a trend we all know well, from politics to social media — once a year, there’s one viewing experience that people around the world share: the Super Bowl. Every year, over 100 million viewers worldwide tune in to watch the game and its pivotal halftime show. Past iconic performances include Prince, Katy Perry, U2 and Beyoncé.
In fact, the announcement of the halftime performer has become an event of its own. For the 2026 show, many have eyed some of the biggest stars right now, from Taylor Swift to Ariana Grande to Bad Bunny.
The Puerto Rican artist hasn’t shied away from politics. He’s advocated for human rights and solidarity for his native island.
With the NFL season still in its early stages, no one knows who will play in the game (set for Feb. 8), but the news is now in on who will play the halftime show. On Sunday night, the NFL announced that the Puerto Rican star Bad Bunny will headline the event.
In popularity, Bad Bunny is a no-brainer for the NFL. His catalog is a hit with U.S. and global audiences. He’s one of the highest-chart-topping artists, alongside the likes of Swift. In 2023, he even beat her with the most-played album on Spotify worldwide. He boasts over 100 billion streams overall. In reach, that’s a Beatles-level feat.
His music is ripe for the dance floor, a Latin-themed reggaeton that focuses more on fun and emotion than anything overtly political. However, the Puerto Rican artist hasn’t shied away from politics. He’s advocated for human rights and solidarity for his native island, addressing issues of exploitation and gentrification.
Back in October, when a comic at Donald Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally called the island a “floating island of garbage,” Bad Bunny condemned the remarks, posting a video ode to his homeland on Instagram alongside the caption, “garbage.”
“I was angry at the time,” the artist told The New York Times’ music podcast. “Yeah, I know it was a comedian … But that wasn’t a stand-up comedy show.” He said the comments made people feel “disrespected” and “hurt.”
Since Trump’s victory, the singer announced his world tour would skip the continental United States in protest of the large-scale raids being carried out by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, and what he views as the wider mistreatment of Latinos in the U.S. So it’s no surprise some MAGA fans are big mad over the NFL’s announcement. Prominent ring-wing podcaster Benny Johnson said the Super Bowl is platforming a “massive Trump hater” and an “anti-ICE activist.” Johnson said that by selecting the star as the halftime act, “The NFL is self-destructing.” That kind of criticism, seemingly telling the NFL who it should and should not platform, is interesting coming from Johnson, the same MAGA commentator who hosted Brendan Carr, the Federal Communications chair, when he notoriously appeared to threaten ABC and Disney over comments made by Jimmy Kimmel. You can see the pattern here: Republicans won the election, but in the areas where they may not be “winning” — like in the free-market, pop culture space — we see time and time again the intense outrage toward those they disagree with. Bad Bunny stood up for his community in the face of blatant disrespect. That doesn’t make him partisan. But it seems that these MAGA figures, who are so political, so sensitive and so obsessed with cancellation, are often also the ones projecting.
Ari Melber
Ari Melber, an Emmy Award-winning journalist, writer and attorney, is the host of “The Beat with Ari Melber” airing nightly at 6 p.m. ET on MSNBC. He also serves as MSNBC’s chief legal correspondent and an NBC News legal analyst. Before joining MSNBC, Melber practiced First Amendment law and served as a legislative aide in the U.S. Senate. He received a J.D. from Cornell Law School and is a member of the New York Bar.
Allison Detzel is an editor/producer for MS NOW.
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