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Former ESPN broadcaster Sage Steele said Friday the issue with Bad Bunny performing at the Super Bowl LX halftime has nothing to do with him being from Puerto Rico.
Steele said on the “Faulkner Focus” with Harris Faulkner that her problem was that Bad Bunny had led “with hate” since he was announced as the music headliner for the game.
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Bad Bunny speaks on stage at the Super Bowl LX Pregame & Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Press Conference at Moscone Center West on Feb. 5, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)
“I want to point this one thing out as well,” Steele said. “This isn’t about someone who is not American, and Bad Bunny is, but it isn’t about that. U2, they’re from Ireland, they gave an amazing performance right after 9/11 20-something years ago. This is about, as an artist, you lead with hate, and that is what Bad Bunny has done from day one.
“When he says, ‘I’m not going to speak your language, you have four months to learn it,’ are you kidding me? It would never be acceptable in their country. So that’s the disturbing (thing). Not that he’s from Puerto Rico. That he says he hates us, he’s not going to take our money, but now he’s doing it.”
Bad Bunny made the crack about American fans needing to learn how to speak English before his performance. He tried to pull back from the remark on Thursday during his interview with Apple Music ahead of the show.
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Bad Bunny receives the award for Album of the Year at The 68th Annual Grammy Awards, broadcasting live Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026 on the CBS Television Network, and streaming live and on demand on Paramount+. (Stewart Cook/CBS via Getty Images)
Steele praised Turning Point USA for offering fans an alternative halftime show for those who may not like Bad Bunny’s music or politics. She added that she knows why the NFL is going with Bad Bunny from a business perspective.
“I love there’s an alternative,” Steele said. “That’s what America is all about and I give TPUSA a lot of credit for doing so. I think it was needed more than ever. However, I believe more people will probably go ahead and watch the Super Bowl halftime show with Bad Bunny if for no other reason, because a lot of times people hate watch just to see how bad he is going to be. Unfortunately, he made it very clear. He’s like, I’m not speaking in English. I’m singing in Spanish. You have four months to learn the language.’ And I think that’s the part, along with the hate and talk about ICE, etc., that disturbs so many people.
Bad Bunny accepts the award for Album of the Year for Debí Tirar Más Fotos at the 68th annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, on Feb. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
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“However, what we have to remember is that this is a business decision. Two years ago, there were only two other NFL games played in other countries. Last season, three, and in 2025, five games. All the commissioner cares about right now is growing the game and they want to be in more countries. They don’t care what the players that were interviewed are saying, or what the fans are saying. This is about the business of the NFL and making it more global.”
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