Bad Bunny's Super Bowl Gig Boosts Streaming Surge by 26%

New York, Oct 9 (AP) The announcement of Bad Bunny's performance at the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show has triggered a significant rise in the streaming of his music catalog.

According to Luminate, an industry data and analytics company, Latin music is primarily consumed through streaming platforms. Since the September 28 announcement, Bad Bunny has seen a 26 percent increase in on-demand streams across the United States, leaping from 173 million streams in the nine days preceding the announcement to 218.5 million streams in the subsequent eight days.

Born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, the Puerto Rican superstar has expressed that concerns about the mass deportation of Latinos influenced his choice to avoid performing in mainland US during his residency.

Performing exclusively in Spanish, Bad Bunny will maintain his language choice at the Super Bowl, demonstrating that engaging with both US and international audiences does not necessitate English lyrics.

Since the collaboration between the NFL, Apple Music, and Roc Nation in announcing Bad Bunny, who will headline the halftime entertainment at Levi's Stadium on February 8 in Santa Clara, California, the decision has sparked widespread discussion.

To his fans, securing a spot at the Super Bowl signifies a momentous achievement for Latino culture. This sentiment is undoubtedly amplified by his recent 31-date residency in Puerto Rico, which attracted approximately half a million visitors during the typically quiet summer tourism period, generating an estimated $733 million for the island.

Roc Nation founder Jay-Z stated, “What Bad Bunny has done and continues to do for Puerto Rico is truly inspiring. We are honored to have him on the world’s biggest stage.” Known for his global hits, Bad Bunny intricately weaves Puerto Rican identity, colonial politics, and immigration struggles into his music.

Hosting the season 51 premiere of “Saturday Night Live,” Bad Bunny shared a few jokes regarding his upcoming Super Bowl halftime performance.

A vocal critic of President Donald Trump, Bad Bunny supported Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential race, leading some Trump supporters to view his Super Bowl engagement as politically charged.

“I've never heard of him,” Trump remarked in an interview on conservative network Newsmax regarding Bad Bunny. “I don't know who he is... I don't know why they're doing it. It's, like, crazy. And then they blame it on some promoter they hired to pick up entertainment. I think it's absolutely ridiculous.” (AP)

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