NFL Knows It Doesn't Have To Care What You Think About Super Bowl Halftime Show

Super Bowl LX is just a few days away, and for what's supposed to be one of the most unifying sporting events on the calendar, it's suddenly become a divisive, politically charged topic of conversation. And it's all thanks to a self-inflicted wound: the NFL's decision to hire Apple Music to stage their musical entertainment, and approve Bad Bunny as the halftime performer. 

The reasons for choosing Bad Bunny are obvious. The NFL wants to increase its footprint among the Latin American market and demographic, and he carries broad appeal in those international areas. While the NFL is ostensibly a sports league, it's a corporation first, and an ambitious one that values total and complete domination of the sporting landscape. 

By now, everyone's seen Bad Bunny's comments at this past weekend's Grammy Awards, where he said "ICE out," echoing the calls of the other assembled ignorant, delusional music industry figures. This set off yet another wave of controversy around the choice to use him for what's inarguably the sports world's biggest entertainment stage. 

It also meant that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell would face more questions about the potential for Bad Bunny to use that stage and platform to make more political statements, instead of focusing on the actual game itself. 

RELATED: Roger Goodell Suggests Bad Bunny Won't Use Super Bowl Stage For Activism

Is that really what the NFL had in mind when it signed off on this? Do they really want their biggest moment, with hundreds of millions of people watching, to take a back seat to a politically charged topic with wildly differing opinions? Well, the truth of the matter is that, quite simply, they don't care. Because they know you'll watch anyway.

Feb 2, 2026; San Jose, CA, USA; NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell speaks to the media at San Jose Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

NFL Has The Ultimate Get Out Of Jail Free Card

There's no downside to the NFL hiring Bad Bunny, or being pulled into political debates it has no part in. Though, of course, the league has already ended political disagreements and racism with its end zone messages. As well as ensuring that everyone is treated kindly and with love, thanks to stickers on the back of player helmets. 

Sure, Goodell had to do some public relations prep that involved saying essentially nothing about Bad Bunny's comments. Sure, they'd probably prefer to spend their time talking about the game, the season, or focus more on their international expansion efforts. But at the end of the day, it doesn't matter to them whether people on the right are upset about their choice of halftime entertainment. 

Because they know that they won't lose one single bit of audience share. 

The NFL can do no wrong. They can never have a "Bud Light" moment. Because there is no competition. They know, you're going to watch the Super Bowl anyway. You're going to watch next year's NFL season, no matter what politically charged topic they insert themselves into, or get pulled into. 

Gambling has become the single most important driving factor in the NFL's popularity. Prop bets. Fantasy sports. Daily fantasy. Parlays. Prediction markets. Receptions. The length of the National Anthem. All of it has helped propel the NFL to unquestioned dominance in ratings and viewership. It's too big to fail. 

Some of the NFL's rise in popularity was due to other factors; a shorter schedule that centers primarily on a day of the week when most people are home and can have games on in the background. The fact that people are accustomed to thinking that big numbers=exciting. The average Major League Baseball game features significantly more scoring, and in recent years, shorter game times with fewer commercials than the NFL. But 28 points in a three-hour game sounds a lot better than four points, even though 28 only represents four actual scoring plays in three hours. Big numbers always win. 

The format makes gambling more accessible. The gaps between teams make picking a winner seemingly easier. The format of the game makes for limitless parlays and prop bets. Though the NFL has likely shed fans who actually care about the outcomes of individual games, the national broadcasts and gambling have led to an explosion of general interest. And this is evidenced by the fact that despite hosting games just eight, nine days a year, several NFL teams didn't even sell out their games. The Jaguars, for example, sold just over 580,000 tickets in 2025. They couldn't fill up their stadium even though they only had games on nine days out of an entire year. Not enough fans would show up on just nine days a year. The Cincinnati Reds, in a small market and with a smaller stadium, sold nearly 2.2 million over 81 days. 

And this is why the NFL simply doesn't care about political controversy. They know everyone will watch the Super Bowl, because it's become a cultural event for uninterested fans. It's a gambling necessity for sports fans, and in particular, football fans. Their ratings will continue to grow because the fantasy and prediction markets only continue to grow. How many fans will they lose, even if Bad Bunny does or says something to turn off a majority of their audience? Zero. None. Not a single fan. 

But they might gain some left-leaning fans, or some in the Latin American market, because they picked him. There's no risk, and plentiful upside, reward, and money to be made. That's what matters.