Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Draws 128.2 Million Viewers as Bad Bunny Delivers a Global Moment

Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show — quickly nicknamed the “Benito Bowl” by fans — became one of the most-watched performances in the event’s history, drawing an average of 128.2 million viewers on Sunday night.

According to Nielsen, that figure tops the game’s overall U.S. average of 124.9 million viewers. However, it falls short of last year’s record-breaking 133.5 million viewers set by Kendrick Lamar. Before Lamar, the record belonged to Usher for his 2024 halftime performance.

Social Media Numbers Explode

While the TV audience alone was massive, the real story may be online.

Data from Ripple Analytics shows the halftime show generated four billion total social media views within 24 hours — a 137% increase from last year. The NFL also confirmed that more than half of its social media views came from international markets, highlighting Bad Bunny’s worldwide appeal.

In fact, the NFL’s three most-viewed social posts of all time now come from Sunday’s show:

• “Only Thing More Powerful Than Hate Is Love” — 179 million Instagram views

• Bad Bunny listing the countries of the Americas before spiking a football — 168 million Instagram views

• That same clip on TikTok — 100 million views

On YouTube alone, clips from the halftime show have already surpassed 57 million views.

Music Streams Surge

The performance also delivered a huge boost for Bad Bunny’s catalog. According to Apple Music, streams of his songs jumped seven times higher after the show.

The biggest gains came from:

• “DtMF”

• “BAILE INoLVIDABLE”

• “Tití Me Preguntó”

A Show Surrounded by Debate

Months before kickoff, the halftime show was already making headlines.

Bad Bunny’s selection sparked criticism from some right-wing commentators who objected to his strong emphasis on Puerto Rican heritage and Latin identity in his music and performances.

The conservative group Turning Point USA, co-founded by Charlie Kirk, even produced an alternative livestream billed as a halftime show “for folks who love America,” headlined by Kid Rock.

According to The New York Times, the YouTube stream peaked at 6.1 million viewers during the show and has since reached 21 million total views — far below the numbers posted by the official halftime broadcast.

Global Numbers Still to Come

The 128.2 million figure reflects U.S. viewership only. With full worldwide totals for the “Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show” expected next week, that number could climb significantly.

For now, one thing is clear: Bad Bunny didn’t just headline the Super Bowl — he turned it into a global cultural moment.