The NFL quietly announced that global superstar Bad Bunny will headline the Apple Music Super Bowl LX halftime show on February 8, 2026, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara — a move the league framed as celebrating cultural vibrancy and expanding its international footprint. This is not a small choice; it’s the NFL choosing a statement performer for the biggest broadcast in American sports.
Sage Steele didn’t let that announcement slide without comment, and she told audiences bluntly what many conservatives are thinking: this pick feels aimed at global market expansion, not the American fans who built the NFL into the institution it is today. Steele warned that the decision reflects priorities that put Roc Nation’s and the NFL’s brand ambitions ahead of the core audience that fills stadiums and watches the game.
Steele also pointed out the elephant in the room — Roc Nation and Jay‑Z’s hand in booking halftime acts has reshaped the selection process into a political and branding exercise, not a celebration of what resonates with typical football viewers. That’s a valid critique: when entertainment strategists tied to activist networks call the shots, cultural loyalty to the game can be casually sidelined.
Conservative voices have not been silent, and even public figures like former President Trump publicly questioned the wisdom of the choice, reflecting a broader backlash among working Americans who want their Super Bowl to reflect American tastes and values. The uproar is predictable when the league’s marquee moment is used to spotlight entertainers whose politics or personas many fans find at odds with mainstream American culture.
This controversy isn’t merely about one performer’s style or language; it’s about the steady politicization and corporatization of American traditions. When leagues chase streaming numbers and overseas markets while cozying up to politically charged producers, they risk alienating loyal fans who simply want football and entertainment that unites rather than divides.
Sage Steele raised these points responsibly on platforms like the Actual Friends podcast and other interviews, and conservatives should pay attention and respond — not with shrill canceling, but with clear demands for accountability from those who run the league and book the halftime show. Call the NFL and question who they serve: the American fanbase that built the game, or a global branding machine that treats our national spectacle like another marketing calendar item.
