Who Booked Bad Bunny for the Super Bowl
Bad Bunny headlined the Super Bowl halftime show in 2022, making him the first solo Latin artist to secure the slot. The booking was led by the NFL in partnership with Pepsi, the league's long-standing halftime sponsor. The deal was finalized through a joint effort between the NFL's in-house events team and Pepsi's global entertainment division, which manages artist contracts and production budgets for the show. The agreement covered performance fees, production costs, and travel logistics, with total reported spending for the halftime show exceeding $13 million that year, according to industry estimates and reports from major outlets like Forbes here.
Pepsi's role as the presenting sponsor gave the brand final approval over the artist lineup, a standard clause in its multi-year Super Bowl partnership. The NFL's media rights and live events departments coordinated the contract, which included specific deliverables around stage design, broadcast integration, and global promotional commitments. Bad Bunny's team, led by his management company and label Rimas Entertainment, negotiated performance terms separately from the sponsorship deal. The final contract reflected a balance between Pepsi's brand objectives and the artist's creative requirements, with both sides agreeing on a setlist, stage setup, and broadcast timing.
Super Bowl Halftime Show Booking Process
The NFL follows a structured booking process for the halftime show, typically starting negotiations 12 to 18 months before the game. The league's entertainment team identifies target artists based on global appeal, streaming rankings, and brand alignment with the halftime sponsor. In Bad Bunny's case, his position as the most-streamed Latin artist on platforms like Spotify and Apple Music made him a top candidate, according to data reported by Billboard here. The sponsor, Pepsi, then reviews the shortlist and participates in final selection, with both parties signing a joint agreement that covers fees, production, and broadcast rights.
Once the artist is confirmed, the NFL and sponsor split production costs, with the sponsor covering a significant portion of the stage, lighting, and visual effects budget. The league handles logistics such as venue access, security coordination, and broadcast integration with network partners like Fox, CBS, and NBC, depending on the year. For Bad Bunny's show, the production team worked with the NFL's in-house events unit and external staging companies to design a custom stage setup that matched the artist's visual style. The final run of show was rehearsed over several days at the stadium, with broadcast timing locked to fit the network's commercial breaks and halftime window.
Financial Impact and Deal Structure
The Super Bowl halftime show generates significant indirect revenue for the performer through streaming spikes, album sales, and brand partnerships. After Bad Bunny's 2022 appearance, his catalog saw a measurable increase in on-demand streams, a pattern the NFL and sponsor track as part of the deal's value proposition. The league does not pay the artist a traditional performance fee in the same way as a concert tour, but the exposure is valued at tens of millions of dollars in equivalent marketing spend. Pepsi's investment in the halftime show is part of a broader annual activation budget that includes in-game advertising, digital campaigns, and fan engagement initiatives tied to the broadcast.
For the NFL, the halftime show is a key tool for maintaining viewership and attracting advertisers, with the game consistently ranking as the most-watched television event in the United States. The booking of high-profile artists like Bad Bunny supports the league's goal of expanding its global audience, particularly in Latin America and among younger demographics. The financial terms of the halftime show are not fully disclosed,
