NEWS
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The Greatest Show on Earth’ took place on Sunday night, as the New England Patriots met the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX. After a pedestrian first three quarters, the game exploded into life in the final 15 minutes as the Seahawks ultimately secured a 29-13 victory.
For the wider public, though, much of the talk in the build-up has been focused on the half-time show. This year, the star at the forefront of the spectacle was Bad Bunny.
The Grammy-award winner from Puerto Rico was the first to secure top prize for a Spanish-language album, ‘DebΓ Tirar MΓ‘s Fotos.’ Making the first of three trips to the stage to collect his awards, Bad Bunny took the opportunity to denounce the actions of ICE (Immigrations and Customs Enforcement) by declaring: βWe’re not savages, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens. We are humans, and we are Americans.β
It was expected by many that the 31-year-old artist would use his platform at the Super Bowl to reaffirm his message against those protecting the United States border, as president Donald Trump stayed away from the event. However, he instead used it to promote a message of unity across America.
Why Bad Bunny Won’t Be Paid For Super Bowl Half-Time Show
While the show brings in plenty of viewer numbers along with stacks of cash from the advertisement slots amongst other revenue streams, the main performing artist will not receive a dime.
As is customary, the performing artist does the gig for free with the worldwide exposure considered the biggest marketing display possible. This was evident as Lamar’s track ‘Not Like Us’ increased in streaming numbers by 430% following his appearance last year.
Previous performers have even parted with their own dollars in order to enhance the production to reach new levels. Dr. Dre and The Weeknd both added capital to the already bulging NFL budget to make their efforts, in 2022 and 2021 respectively, hit the heights of viewership in an attempt to break records.
The decision to place Bad Bunny front and centre has highlighted the NFL’s desire to reach further afield for viewership. βI think that there was absolutely a market decision behind selecting Bad Bunny,β said Jorell MelΓ©ndez-Badillo, a Latin American studies Professor from The University of Wisconsin. The belief is that the strategy will open more markets internationally for the NFL.
Super Bowl LV Performers
Bad Bunny was joined by various Latin artists and celebrities during his performance, including Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin, alongside cameos from the likes of Pedro Pascal, Cardi B, Karol G and Jessica Alba.
Also present were Green Day, who performed prior to the game. The band’s front-man, Billy Joe Armstrong, has also been a vocal critic of President Trump and ICE’s policies, which have been a key factor in putting off the President from attending.
βIβm anti-them,β Donald Trump stated. βI think itβs a terrible choice. All it does is sow hatred. Terrible.β