Super Bowl halftime has divided viewers before – in a different way
- - Super Bowl halftime has divided viewers before – in a different way
Kyle Morel and Kate Perez, USA TODAY NETWORKFebruary 6, 2026 at 2:24 AM
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People tuning in to Super Bowl LX will have a choice of two halftime shows to watch, but it's not the first time there have been competing options for viewers.
Rapper and singer Bad Bunny is set to perform in the traditional on-field show, broadcast on NBC in the middle of the game between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots. Alternatively, viewers can also opt to watch the "All-American Halftime Show," an alternate mini-concert organized by the conservative political organization Turning Point USA.
The latter show, announced in a news release Feb. 2, features a lineup of Kid Rock and country music performers Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice and Gabby Barrett. It will be streamed on Turning Point's YouTube, X and Rumble channels as well as several conservative networks like Real America's Voice and One America News Network.
1 / 23Super Bowl halftime shows since 2000NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - FEBRUARY 09: Kendrick Lamar performs onstage during Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show at Caesars Superdome on February 09, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
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Turning Point announced plans for its own halftime show in October after Bad Bunny was selected for the NFL's main performance, which sparked backlash and criticism from some viewers and politicians, including President Donald Trump.
The Puerto Rican native has been outspoken about Trump's deportation efforts, most recently denouncing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in an acceptance speech at the Grammy Awards Feb. 1.
Bad Bunny accepts the award for Album of the Year for "Debi Tirar Mas Fotos" during the 68th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, U.S., February 1, 2026.
Kid Rock, a longtime Trump supporter, compared the All-American Halftime Show's competition with the NFL to a "David and Goliath" matchup while also taking a dig at Bad Bunny's performances.
"We plan to play great songs for folks who love America," the singer said.
Kimberly Guilfoyle, Kid Rock and Donald Trump Jr. at a rally in Michigan on Monday, Sept. 14, 2020.
Others say Bad Bunny is the "real reason" they will be tuning into the Super Bowl Sunday night.
The artist took home the Grammy Award for Album of the Year last weekend with beloved album "Debí Tirar Más Fotos," had a record-breaking residency in Puerto Rico, and was Spotify's most listened to artist globally in 2025.
Examples of alternate halftime 'shows' from previous Super Bowls
Turning Point's halftime show is not the first time a network or organization has attempted to siphon viewers from the official Super Bowl halftime show, though previous alternatives had less to do with politics and more to do with viewership. Here's a look:
1992: One of the most memorable examples of counterprogramming to the halftime show came in the '90s, when Fox broadcast an episode of the sketch comedy series "In Living Color" during halftime of Super Bowl XXVI on CBS. The show was watched by nearly 29 million viewers and prompted the NFL to begin treating the halftime show as a marquee event to draw viewers in, starting with Michael Jackson as the performer the following year.
The 1990s also saw MTV attempt to counter the halftime show in multiple years by airing new episodes of popular cartoon "Beavis and Butt-Head" at the same time as the performance, with some of the segments having the characters poking fun at the game itself.
1999: At halftime of Super Bowl XXIII, World Wrestling Entertainment aired a match between Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Mick Foley, also known as "Mankind," in an event dubbed "Halftime Heat" on the USA Network. The program returned two decades later as a six-man tag team match on the WWE Network during the Super Bowl LIII halftime in 2019.
2003: NBC countered ABC's airing of the Super Bowl XXVII halftime show with a live broadcast of Weekend Update, a popular segment of the long-running show "Saturday Night Live" hosted by Jimmy Fallon and Tina Fey. The segment was bookended by a 90-minute episode of "Fear Factor," which had gone up against the previous year's halftime show with a special episode featuring Playboy playmates.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Look back at alternate Super Bowl halftime 'shows' that split viewers
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
