Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl paycheck might shock you: Here's what you might not know amid controversy over historic halftime performance

Super Bowl LX is almost here, and whether you’re a football fan or not, this one is impossible to ignore, mostly thanks to its headline act: Bad Bunny. The Puerto Rican superstar has a massive global following, but his Super Bowl booking hasn’t been without controversy. Some conservative groups, particularly Republicans, have called for a boycott over his outspoken criticism of ICE and his anti-Trump views.

On the field, fans will be treated to a dramatic rematch as the Seattle Seahawks face off against the New England Patriots at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California on Feb. 8, 2026. The NFC and AFC champions collide for the league title in one of the most unexpected and buzzed-about matchups of the season.

The hype around Bad Bunny, though, is on another level. He’s set to make history as the first Super Bowl halftime performer to sing mostly in Spanish, and the timing couldn’t be more perfect. His big NFL moment comes just a week after he smashed records at the 2026 Grammys, becoming the first Spanish-language artist to win Album of the Year and taking home three major trophies. Politics aside, all eyes are on him, and the big question on everyone’s mind is: how much is Bad Bunny actually getting paid for this historic performance? Let’s break it down.

If you’re curious about how much Bad Bunny is actually being paid to headline the Super Bowl LX halftime show, the answer might surprise you: not much, at least not upfront. Like every Super Bowl headliner before him, he isn’t walking away with a massive performance paycheck.

The NFL has a long-standing policy of paying halftime performers only a union-scale fee, which usually adds up to just a few thousand dollars. While the league and its sponsors foot the bill for the show’s enormous production (often costing tens of millions), artists themselves are compensated through a standard SAG-AFTRA rate. According to a July 2025 report by Wrapbook, the SAG day rate under basic theatrical agreements is $1,246 per day.

So why do artists still jump at the chance to perform at the Super Bowl? Because the real payoff comes after the lights go down. Performing at the Super Bowl is such a big deal because the exposure artists get from that one 12–15-minute set can completely change their careers, even without a direct paycheck from the NFL.

Halftime performers are watched by an audience that often tops 100 million viewers worldwide, and that visibility consistently triggers massive boosts in streams, sales, and social engagement. Take Rihanna: her streams shot up more than 200%, and her song sales nearly quadrupled after her performance in 2023, according to Forbes. Kendrick Lamar saw a jaw-dropping 430% boost in Spotify streams after the 2025 halftime show, says Rolling Stone. And it’s not just them; pretty much every artist leaves the stage riding a wave of chart climbs, playlist domination, and endless online buzz for weeks.

Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime booking has ignited debate because critics, especially on the political right, have blasted his outspoken criticism of ICE, anti-Trump views, and choice to perform predominantly in Spanish, framing it as too political or un-American.

Some conservative groups, including Turning Point USA, even organised alternative All-American halftime programming in protest, while others dismissed his selection based on language or cultural biases, despite his massive global popularity.

For Bad Bunny, headlining the Super Bowl halftime show isn’t just another gig; it’s a historic moment for representation and global visibility. As the first solo artist to perform primarily in Spanish on one of the world’s most-watched stages, the DtMF hitmaker is bringing Latin music and culture to an audience that has historically been dominated by English‑language pop and rock icons, highlighting that Latino artists belong at the centre of mainstream entertainment, not just in niche moments.

His journey from reggaetón star to global phenomenon, topping global streaming charts and winning Album of the Year at the 2026 Grammys for an all‑Spanish album, shows how Spanish‑language music has transformed global pop culture, breaking barriers and inspiring listeners beyond language boundaries.