This week Bad Bunny was announced as the artist headlining the Halftime Show of the Super Bowl. Everyone was expecting Taylor Swift to be the chosen one, instead we get Benito – and THIS is a much bigger story than expected.
The NFL have been trying to globalize the game for years — London, Brazil, Madrid. But nothing will take American football further than putting Bad Bunny at the center of its biggest stage.
Why? Because NFL will be borrowing the gravitas of someone who never left his roots, who sings in Spanish, builds from Puerto Rico, and makes identity feel bigger than any border.
Why This is Historic
If the announcement this week felt huge, it’s because it really is. Here is why:
- It’s the first-ever Halftime Show headlined (probably) entirely in Spanish.
- Benito is a 3x Spotify global #1 artist (2020–2022), and the first artist to reach 1 billion streams on Spotify in January 2025, showcasing his massive popularity.
- Since the launch his last album, DtMF, he has built demand by not chasing mass: 31 shows in 2025, all in Puerto Rico, turning his concerts into cultural pilgrimages and plugging 300M$ directly into Puerto Rico’s economy.
- Adidas x Mercedes F1 collab showed how his world-building travels — Formula 1 cars racing through San Juan became sneaker heat worldwide.
The lesson here for brands looking for consumer love: Bad Bunny did something that few global artists manage to achieve – he scaled his reach by going deeper on his identity. And by doing so, the entire world followed.
Past Shows, Future Records
Recent Halftime shows already broke viewership records:
- 2025 Kendrick Lamar — 133.5M (all-time high).
- 2024 Usher — 129.3M.
- 2023 Rihanna — 121M.
- 2015 Katy Perry — 118.5M.
- 2017 Lady Gaga — 117.5M.
- 2016 Coldplay/Beyoncé/Bruno Mars — 115.5M.
- 2014 Bruno Mars — 115.3M.
- 2012 Madonna — 114M.
All bets are now on Bad Bunny and his potential to top them all, not by reaching “everyone,” but by proving the world comes with him wherever he goes.
What to Expect on Stage
If there is one thing Benito knows how to do is to bring Puerto Rico storytelling on stage. A few things to consider and look for:
- Adidas (five years in): In 2025, Benito and adidas marked their anniversary with The Archive: Puerto Rico Para El Mundo — 150+ unreleased products shown at Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico. The drop of the Adizero SL72 “Archive” (a mash-up of his first Forum palettes) and the F1 demo run with Mercedes-AMG proved this collab is bigger than footwear. Expect Halftime to nod directly to this ecosystem — sneakers, archive visuals, maybe even motorsport cues.
- Puerto Rican identity: Flags, colors, dancers, and storytelling rooted in home will anchor the show.
- Apple Music (sponsor): Expect full integration across visuals, social, and streaming tie-ins.
- Wild cards: Fashion houses or jewellery collabs could sneak in via styling — we’ve seen this many times, as the Halftime show has become (among other things) a fashion runway for brands showing off their best products.
Not sure a Halftime show ever created such a huge expectation from its announcement. It’ll be pretty exciting to watch.
The Bad Bunny Effect on Advertising
Ad slots for Super Bowl LX sold out at $7–8M per 30 seconds, some even higher — the most expensive in history.
Why? Because brands know this isn’t just a football broadcast. With Bad Bunny headlining, the Super Bowl becomes a global cultural event: young, bilingual, international audiences tuning in like never before.
An incredible business case for culture.
How Brands Can Join the Moment (even if you’re not “in” the show)
Most importantly, how can brands align with the culture?
- Culture-right, not category-right. Anchor to Puerto Rican/Latino creators and vendors for creative, merch, or pop-ups the week of the game. Signal respect, not opportunism.
- Sound-on storytelling. Commission Spanish-first assets, captions, and OOH/audio edits; don’t “auto-translate” your way in.
- Place the drop where the culture is. Watch-party kits, limited city jerseys/caps, or hospitality with Puerto Rican chefs/mixologists. Target Miami, NYC, Orlando, Chicago, LA, San Juan.
- Momentum math. Tie your activation to a second cultural beat — a local demo, community tournament, or art collab — so you extend beyond game day.
- Measure what matters. Track Spanish-language engagement, save-rates, and creator-driven conversion — not just generic reach.
If it’s not clear by now: Benito’s mission is to put Puerto Rico at the center of the world’s stage. Align with that mission, and you tap into the same cultural force that’s reshaping music, fashion and sport.
To Sum It All Up
The Super Bowl is supposed to be a football game. Next year, we’re gearing up for a Bad Bunny concert with a few touchdowns in between.
And your takeaway is this: the real play isn’t mass appeal. It’s uncompromising identity. Build from there, and the world follows.
🤳🏻 Something to look into: Latin music isn’t just rising, it’s reshaping global charts, audiences, and brand strategies. So do Latina sports fans, driving a $26.3B Market. If your brand is serious about building an authentic Latin initiative, reach out to our friends at DRAFTED (and don’t miss my conversation with Jennifer Yepez-Blundell on how they work with brands that do it right 👉 watch here).
