In a stunning reversal, the National Football League has officially dropped Bad Bunny from its Super Bowl halftime lineup, following days of intense fan criticism and mounting pressure from within the league. In a late-night press release, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell confirmed that the halftime stage will now be headlined by music icon Sting, marking a dramatic shift in tone just weeks before the biggest game of the year.
The decision follows a whirlwind week of controversy after rumors spread that Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones had demanded Bad Bunny be included as the primary performer. While some fans celebrated the idea, others lashed out, calling it “out of touch” and “a marketing stunt.” Online petitions quickly circulated, gathering hundreds of thousands of signatures urging the NFL to reconsider.
According to league insiders, the backlash reached a boiling point during an emergency meeting between NFL executives and Super Bowl sponsors. One source described the mood as “tense and panicked.”
“The NFL wanted global appeal, but the reaction was overwhelming,” the source said. “They couldn’t risk alienating their core audience right before the Super Bowl.”
In an effort to calm the storm, the league reached out to Sting — one of music’s most respected figures — to headline a special concert event during Super Bowl weekend, replacing Bad Bunny’s previously planned halftime slot. While it’s unclear if Sting will perform solo or with surprise guests, the announcement immediately sent social media into overdrive.
Fans are sharply divided. Some praised the NFL’s decision to “restore class and balance” to the halftime stage, while others criticized the league for “bowing to pressure” and abandoning a chance to modernize the show.
“Bad Bunny would’ve brought in a younger, global audience,” one fan wrote. “Now it feels like the NFL went back to the safe route.”
As of Friday morning, Bad Bunny has yet to release a statement, though sources close to his camp suggest he was “disappointed but unsurprised” by the league’s reversal.
The upcoming Super Bowl — already one of the most anticipated in recent memory — just became even more unpredictable. Between on-field drama, backstage politics, and now a high-profile music shakeup, all eyes are once again on the NFL.
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