🔗 Share this article

America's top football league has no plans to remove the global music icon as the star attraction for the Super Bowl halftime show, League chief Roger Goodell announced this week.

With this affirmation, Goodell reaffirmed the choice to place the Puerto Rican artist on the most-watched platform, a move that sparked negative reactions from the former president and some of his supporters.

Goodell addressed the debate during his media briefing following the annual fall owners meeting. This marks the initial instance he has publicly remarked on the appointment, which has attracted worldwide attention, including a rise in streams of Bad Bunny’s music alongside opposition.

“The decision was thoroughly considered,” Goodell said. “I’m not sure we have chosen an performer where we didn’t have pushback or disapproval. It’s challenging to do when you have truly countless viewers of people that are watching.”

Bad Bunny, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, has been a vocal opponent of Trump. He recently decided to do a 31-day residency in his homeland, avoiding performances in the continental United States, citing apprehensions about the expulsion of Hispanic individuals.

The artist, who performs primarily in his native language, is anticipated to continue this at the Super Bowl.

“We believe it will deliver a great show,” Goodell commented. “He is aware of the opportunity that he has, and in my view it will prove thrilling and a unifying experience.”

The host team are staging the championship game on February 8 at the Santa Clara venue in Santa Clara, California. There is uncertainty if Trump intends to attend, though he has turned appearing in person at major sporting events a significant part of his current presidency.

Trump in an interview on conservative news network the outlet claimed he had “no knowledge of” Bad Bunny.

“I don’t know his identity,” he stated. “I don’t know the reasoning behind it. It’s, like, crazy. And then, they attribute it to some promoter they hired to pick up talent. In my opinion it’s absolutely ridiculous.”

The commissioner defended the choice on Wednesday, explaining it was determined because of Bad Bunny’s massive fanbase.

“He’s one of the leading and most popular entertainers globally,” he said. “This is exactly what we aim to accomplish. It’s an important platform for us. It’s an important element to the entertainment value.”