An ESPN reporter choked up on air as he praised Bad Bunny’s celebratory halftime performance at the Super Bowl.
John Sutcliffe had tears in his eyes as he said that Latino viewers should feel “proud” that the Puerto Rican superstar’s show at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, was delivered almost entirely in Spanish and still managed to deliver a powerful message of unity.
Bad Bunny—real name Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio—used the Super Bowl LX halftime show to celebrate his “motherland” Puerto Rico, and the Americas more broadly. During the show, Bad Bunny spiked a football bearing the message “Together, We Are America,” and ended his performance singing in front of a billboard that read: “The only thing more powerful than hate is love.”
“God bless America,” the singer declared in English, before listing countries from across North, Central, and South America and leading a parade of dancers carrying their flags.
Speaking in Spanish, the British-born Sutcliffe told ESPN viewers that Bad Bunny’s performance—which triggered backlash from MAGA figures and sent President Donald Trump into a meltdown even before a note was sung—was “truly very emotional” and delivered in a world “where everyone seems to be fighting.”
“The message Bunny sent, whether you like his music or not, was with love, culture, and affection,” a visibly emotional Sutcliffe said.
“If you are in Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, wherever, it’s OK to have a tear in your eye and feel proud that Benito sang in Spanish at America’s biggest celebration,” Sutcliffe added. “Long live Bad Bunny.”
The Grammy Award–winning singer, who was the world’s most-streamed artist on Spotify in 2025, performed a string of his most beloved songs, including “Tití Me Preguntó,” “MONACO,” and “El Apagón,” during his 14-minute set.
The show featured guest performances from Lady Gaga—who sang during a wedding reception in which a couple actually tied the knot on stage—and Ricky Martin. It also included cameos from a host of stars, including Pedro Pascal, Jessica Alba, and rapper Cardi B.
One person who didn’t enjoy the performance was Trump, who declared on Truth Social that it was “absolutely terrible, one of the worst, EVER!”
The president appeared to admit he was watching Bad Bunny’s performance on Sunday instead of MAGA’s alternative event, the All-American Halftime Show, organized by Turning Point USA and headlined by Trump-supporting singer Kid Rock, who lip synched his performance in front of an audience of a few dozen.
Elsewhere, the Seattle Seahawks delivered an emphatic defensive performance to defeat the New England Patriots 29–13 and claim their second Super Bowl victory on Sunday.
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