YMMV - Super Bowl Edition

This past Sunday, about one American in three watched Super Bowl LX. They were treated to a demonstration that “defense wins championships.” As far as I’m concerned, those who griped that the game was boring don’t understand football as well as those who enjoyed it. That’s fine, we each get to choose how we are entertained and how much time we invest in learning about particular things.

I did voice a few objections to people who made categorical declarations like “football is boring,” because they crossed the line that separates personal reaction and insulting other people... which segues into today’s actual topic: the halftime show.

From the moment the NFL announced that Bad Bunny would be the performer, the opinion-sphere spewed relentless bewilderment and rage. I was among those who said “who?” But here’s where I parted company with most of the reactions I saw. I am on the long side of 60 years old, which means that I stopped mattering to advertisers and marketers more than a decade ago. That’s not an insult or a put-down, it’s just a fact. The consumption patterns of the AARP crowd are less malleable, so advertising return on investment in many product sectors is much lower. Sure, there are products aimed at us, and they will be marketed at us, but we err gravely when we forget that it’s a big world with a wide range of tastes and interests.

Bad Bunny is a hugely popular act. Per NR’s Jim Geraghty,

Mr. Bunny has been Spotify’s most-streamed artist four of the past five years. “He has 19 videos on YouTube with more than one billion views — the most of any artist on the platform — and his channel has 51.7 million subscribers.” For perspective, the “alternate halftime show” headliner Kid Rock has 2.38 million subscribers to his YouTube channel. U2 has almost 3.3 million subscribers on YouTube, Sabrina Carpenter has 12.9 million, and Beyonce has 28.7 million. Nicki Minaj, who seemingly overnight became every Trump fan and Christian’s favorite hip-hop artist, has 28 million.

While my friends and I would love, love, LOVE to see Metallica do a halftime show, and we think one would be legendary, even the most successful metal band of all time doesn’t come close to Bad Bunny’s numbers. Just because you and I hadn’t heard of Bad Bunny doesn’t mean he’s not a monster music star.

And an opportunity for the NFL.

For a business looking to expand its consumer base, playing to the already-fans is probably less effective than trying to draw new eyeballs. American football isn’t big in Latin America (Bad Bunny is Puerto Rican, and performed his show in Spanish), a fact that Roger Goodell and the various team owners would like to change.

The NFL, in choosing Bad Bunny, made an obvious play to draw some of the 670M people who live in Latin America. Five NFL games have been played in Mexico so far, with another planned this year (as well as one in Brazil). Flag football, sponsored by the NFL and set to be an Olympic sport in 2028, is growing in popularity south of the Rio Grande, with millions of Mexican kids playing it. Other initiatives make it clear that the NFL is looking to expand its footprint outside American borders, and in that context, selecting Bad Bunny was a smart move. The linked NR article discusses the expansion at greater length.

If, like me, you gave Bad Bunny perhaps a minute’s attention, concluded “not for me tonight,” and tuned out until the game resumed, that’s fine - you like what you like.

The mistake lies in concluding that the league owes you a half time show that fits your taste.

The last time the NFL offered an act that aligns with my musical likes was 2010, when The Who played in Miami. Go through this list and see for yourself how often the league has catered to you.

I have spilled much digital ink decrying Hollywood - and other business sectors - for forgetting their core audiences in efforts to capture new business. In this case, however, the league delivered a great product. A clean, low-penalty game, several spectacular performances, including two incredible defensive plays by Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez (of Colombian heritage, it’s worth noting), a redemption tale in Seatte QB Sam Darnold, a Cinderella story in New England QB Drake Maye (second youngest QB to start a Super Bowl), and more. Yes, it was a low-scoring affair until desperation time produced several meaningless touchdowns. Yes, high-scoring shootouts are more fun. Yes, Maye looked terrible… but so did Darnold in his time with the Jets when his offensive line was as porous as Biden’s southern border.

The game, all in all, was a demonstration of excellence, and the core audience - people who appreciate the game - got its money’s worth.

Indeed, Reason’s Eric Boehm points out that both the game and the halftime show are meant to be celebrations of excellence.

I don’t feel betrayed by the NFL’s Bad Bunny selection. I saw a good game, and that’s what I was there for. Would I have preferred a musical act more to my taste? Sure… but see above.

Your mileage may vary (YMMV), of course.

Which is the point of today’s bit.

Nothing can be all things to all people.

Including the Super Bowl halftime show.

And, as a relevant aside, politicians and political players. It’s why I prefer to judge individual decisions and actions rather than the people who make them. Demand perfect alignment with your preferences from another and you will be forever disappointed.

Every business decision comes with risks. Smart business people adjust to the failures and double down on the successes. Early reports are that Super Bowl LX broke viewership records... and that the halftime show actually exceeded the viewership tally of the game itself. This suggests that, despite the widespread grousing, the artist choice was a good one. Only time will tell if there’s a long-lasting impact, of course.

Until then, and even after then, try to hang onto some perspective, embrace the positives rather than fixate on the negatives, and accept the possibility that your demographic may not matter as much to the people planning the event.

As for your opinion on Bad Bunny’s show? Drop it on the world if you wish, but bear in mind that in a week or two, it’ll all be forgotten. It wasn’t memorable enough to be remembered, and there’s little reward in getting agitated about it