Despite the backlash, Bad Bunny will still be the headline performer at Super Bowl LIX.

For the first time, Commissioner Roger Goodell addressed the Bad Bunny controversy at his news conference following the annual Fall League Meeting. 

"It's carefully thought through," Goodell said. "I'm not sure we've ever selected an artist where we didn't have some blowback or criticism. It's pretty hard to do when you have literally hundreds of millions of people that are watching."

"We're confident it's going to be a great show," Goodell said. "He understands the platform that he's on, and I think it's going to be exciting and a united moment."

Goodell went on to explain that Bad Bunny was the perfect choice because he’s known across the globe.

"He's one of the leading and most popular entertainers in the world," Goodell said. "That's what we try to achieve. It's an important stage for us. It's an important element to the entertainment value."

Goodell also teased some of the details of the show.

“I’m not saying that there won’t be additional talent that might be involved, but that’s always how it works,” Goodell said.

Bad Bunny as the Super Bowl Halftime Show headliner is a watershed moment. Performing primarily in Spanish, Bad Bunny will have a captive audience on one of the world's most visible cultural stages.

During an interview with Hot 97’s Ebro Darden and Zane Lowe, the “Un Verano Sin Ti” artist shared that JAY-Z gave him a call while he was in the gym about his selection.

“I was in the middle of a workout,” he told the host.

“I remember that after the call, I just did, like, 100 pull-ups. I didn't need more pre-workout... It was very special.”

Bad Bunny has also been intentional about where he performs. Speaking with I-D Magazine, he said the fear of ICE “being outside his concert” made him skip touring in the US.

“People from the US could come here to see the show. Latinos and Puerto Ricans of the United States could also travel here, or to any part of the world. But there was the issue of—like, f**king ICE could be outside my concert. And it’s something that we were talking about and very concerned about.”

The Super Bowl is Feb. 8, 2026, in San Francisco.