Americans tuning in to Super Bowl LX will have a choice of two halftime shows to watch. It’s not the first time there have been competing shows.
Latin artist Bad Bunny is performing in the traditional on-field show, broadcast on NBC in the middle of the game between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots. Viewers can also opt for the “All-American Halftime Show,” an alternate mini-concert organized by the conservative political organization Turning Point USA.
The latter show, announced in a press release Feb. 2, features a lineup of Kid Rock and country music performers Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice and Gabby Barrett. It will be streamed on Turning Point’s YouTube, X and Rumble channels as well as several conservative networks like Real America’s Voice and One America News Network.
“The All-American Halftime Show is an opportunity for all Americans to enjoy a halftime show with no agenda other than to celebrate faith, family, and freedom,” said Turning Point Spokesman Andrew Kolvet. “We set out to provide an entertainment option that will be fun, excellent and exciting for the entire family while millions are gathered together for the big game. These performers will deliver exactly that.”
Turning Point announced plans for its own halftime show in October in response to the NFL choosing Bad Bunny for the main performance. The Puerto Rican native has criticized President Donald Trump’s deportation efforts, most recently denouncing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in an acceptance speech at the Grammy Awards Feb. 1.
Kid Rock, a longtime Trump supporter, compared the All-American Halftime Show’s competition with the NFL to a “David and Goliath” matchup while also taking a dig at Bad Bunny’s performances.
“He’s said he’s having a dance party, wearing a dress, and singing in Spanish?” the singer said. “Cool. We plan to play great songs for folks who love America.”
Other ‘alternative’ Super Bowl halftime shows
Turning Point’s halftime show is not the first time a network or organization has attempted to siphon viewers from the Super Bowl.
The most successful example of counterprogramming came in 1992, when Fox broadcast an episode of the sketch comedy series “In Living Color” during halftime of Super Bowl XXVI on CBS. The show was watched by nearly 29 million viewers and prompted the NFL to begin treating the halftime show as a marquee event, starting with Michael Jackson as the performer the following year.
At halftime of Super Bowl XXIII in 1999, World Wrestling Entertainment aired a match between Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Mick Foley, also known as “Mankind,” in an event dubbed “Halftime Heat” on the USA Network. The program returned two decades later as a six-man tag team match on the WWE Network during the Super Bowl LIII halftime in 2019.
In 2003, NBC countered ABC’s airing of the Super Bowl XXVII halftime show with a live broadcast of Weekend Update, a popular segment of the long-running show “Saturday Night Live” hosted by Jimmy Fallon and Tina Fey. The segment was bookended by a 90-minute episode of “Fear Factor,” which had gone up against the previous year’s halftime show with a special episode featuring Playboy playmates.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Super Bowl halftime show alternatives, how to watch, history
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