Revealed: The trouble behind-the-scenes at the NFL after Bad Bunny announced for Super Bowl halftime show
The selection of Bad Bunny for the Super Bowl halftime show has sparked internal friction at the NFL - with one team owner meeting the decision with skepticism.
The announcement was first made in late September, instantly placing the Puerto Rican singer and rapper at the center of a political firestorm.
Within days, the choice drew sharp rebukes from high-ranking government officials who questioned the artist's past criticisms of U.S. immigration policies.
President Donald Trump was among those to criticize the decision to allow Bad Bunny to perform at Super Bowl LX and later revealed that he would not be attending the event at Levi's Stadium on February 8th due to the Puerto Rican's selection.
Now, just nine days out from the showpiece event, a bombshell report has claimed that the decision has also caused friction from within the NFL itself.
According to ESPN, an NFL owner warned Commissioner Roger Goodell that the choice of the Puerto Rican superstar could have serious political ramifications.
The NFL's decision to have Bad Bunny perform at Super Bowl LX has caused national uproar
A bombshell report claims that one franchise owner warned NFL commissioner Roger Goodell over the decision to have Bad Bunny perform and potential ramifications that it could have
Specifically, the owner expressed fear that the decision could threaten the government's antitrust approval of the deal to sell several assets, including the NFL Network, to ESPN in exchange for a 10 percent stake in the media company.
The source with knowledge of the private exchange, according to ESPN, claimed the owner told Goodell he 'should've thought through that better.'
This pushback highlights the tension between the league's business ambitions and the political climate surrounding its high-profile entertainment choices.
Despite the internal warning, the league office has shown no signs of backing down from their chosen performer.
At an October meeting in Manhattan, Goodell made it clear to reporters that the NFL had no intentions of changing the halftime act for the February 8 show.
The NFL commissioner defended the choice by pointing to the artist's massive global reach and noted that the selection process is always 'carefully thought through'.
'He's one of the most popular entertainers in the world,' Goodell told reporters at a news conference. 'It's carefully thought through.
'I'm not sure we've ever selected an artist where we didn't have some blowback or criticism. I think it's going to be exciting and a united moment.'
The decision to select the Puerto Rican sparked backlash from the likes of Donald Trump
Trump has revealed he is skipping this year's Super Bowl, held near San Francisco
The league's chief marketing officer, Tim Ellis, was even more direct during a marketing conference in October.
Addressing the controversy surrounding the artist, Ellis stated, 'Well, not everyone has to like everything we do. Bad Bunny is f***ing awesome'.
While some individual owners may harbor concerns, the topic reportedly has not been raised as a point of 'great strife' during formal groupwide owners' meetings.
One source told ESPN: 'The league is tasked with setting financial and brand goals, and that's a lot of what we asked the league to do.
'Of course, it is tricky, because you have a room of 32 people that are unfamiliar with the artist or may have political concerns'.
Instead, the league appears focused on its broader goal of expanding its international and Latino audience.
Three club executives confirmed to ESPN that they believe the artist helps achieve the NFL's long-term objective of global growth. For many in the league office, the potential for brand expansion outweighs the risk of political blowback.
Dallas Cowboys chief brand officer Charlotte Jones has been among those publicly supporting the choice. She recently emphasized that the NFL is on a 'global stage' and that the league should celebrate its 'mixed culture'.
Charlotte Jones, daughter of Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, has expressed her support over the decision to let Bad Bunny perform the Super Bowl LX halftime show
Jones said that NFL fans should not be concerned about politics while watching the game
Back in November, on The Katie Miller Podcast, she said: 'I think our Latina fan base is amazing. And I think when you think about the Super Bowl, you want the No. 1 performer in the world to be there.
'We're on a global stage and we can't ever forget that. Our game goes out to everybody around the world and to get the premier entertainer to want to be a part of our game, I think is amazing. We have a mixed culture'.
As the Super Bowl approaches, the NFL is reportedly attempting to maintain an 'apolitical stance' to avoid the chaos seen in previous years.
The league has learned lessons from past interactions with the administration and is trying to be less 'reactionary' this time around.
'Those are probably just lessons learned,' the executive said. 'Drawing the president's ire, there's so many things that happen on a daily basis. I think people just have a different opinion this time around.
'I think maybe in the past, the league office got a little turned around with some of the owners, or some of the other influential people, saying you have to take a stand here,' another executive said.
The executives referred back to 2017, when Donald Trump's vocal opposition to NFL players who chose to take a knee created a national political crisis.
'Last time with Kaepernick, that was players and owners and the president. Bad Bunny doesn't affect any of that,' a club executive said.
'It doesn't affect week-to-week games or television coverage. It's just a halftime show. And I don't mean that flippantly, but it's just a halftime show.'
Less than a week ago, Trump confirmed that he will not be in attendance due to the NFL's decision to have the Puerto Rican rapper as the halftime show.
ICE agents will not be patrolling around Levi's Stadium on Super Bowl Sunday, reports claim
![Secretary of homeland security Kristi Noem previously said: 'We’ll be all over [the Super Bowl]'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2026/01/30/21/105941947-15514163-Secretary_of_homeland_security_Kristi_Noem_previously_said_We_ll-a-8_1769808840351.jpg)
Secretary of homeland security Kristi Noem previously said: 'We’ll be all over [the Super Bowl]'
Trump, who attended the 2025 Super Bowl in New Orleans, explained: 'It’s just too far away. I would (have gone otherwise). I’ve gotten great hands for the Super Bowl, they like me. I would go if, you know, it was a little bit shorter.'
Bad Bunny, whose songs are nearly all in Spanish, had previously refused to perform in the United States over fears ICE would raid his shows.
However, it was confirmed this week that ICE agents will not be patrolling around Levi's Stadium on Super Bowl Sunday, according to new reports.
The news comes after President Trump promised to 'de-escalate' in Minnesota following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti. Just two weeks earlier, 37-year-old Renee Good was fatally shot in her car by an ICE officer.
