Turning Point USA’s alternative Super Bowl Halftime show hit a snag just hours before it was meant to air on X.
UPDATE: 2026/02/08 21:30 EST
This article has been updated to include comments from President Donald Trump regarding the Super Bowl halftime show.
The event was intended to air during halftime of Super Bowl LX, the NFL’s matchup played at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, with the Seattle Seahawks facing off against the New England Patriots.
The conservative nonprofit, founded by late right-wing political activist Charlie Kirk redirected viewers to watch on YouTube instead, The Independent reports, citing licensing restrictions as the reason. The “All-American Halftime Show,” promoted as a counter-programming option to the NFL’s official Super Bowl halftime performance, was intended to run concurrently with the game. Turning Point originally made the announcement shortly after the NFL chose Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny, a selection that drew some backlash from conservative circles despite him being an American artist.
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While details about the licensing issue were not fully disclosed, Turning Point USA characterized the decision as abrupt and outside of its control.
The controversy unfolded alongside renewed debate over this year’s official Super Bowl halftime performer, Bad Bunny. Former NFL quarterback Brett Favre publicly stated that he would not be watching the rapper’s halftime show, opting instead to tune into Turning Point USA’s alternative broadcast. “I’m not familiar with Bad Bunny so don’t know if his music is good or bad,” Favre told Fox News.
Instead of speculation online about his thoughts about the official halftime performance, Trump weighed in on Truth Social calling it “absolutely terrible, one of the worst, EVER” and arguing that it “makes no sense” and is “an affront to the greatness of America.” Trump claimed viewers “understand no word this guy is saying” and criticized the dancing as inappropriate, framing the show as failing to represent “our standards of success, creativity, or excellence.”
More than 120 million viewers nationwide were projected to tune in for Bad Bunny’s performance.
