Jerry Jones Blasts Bad Bunny’s Potential Super Bowl Slot, Vowing to “Use Every Ounce of Influence” as Debate Erupts Over Tradition and Inclusion

DALLAS — Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones waded directly into the Super Bowl spotlight this week, vowing to “use every ounce of influence and power” to block Bad Bunny from headlining a future halftime show after the artist’s recent comments about the event. Jones framed his stance as a defense of “American tradition,” arguing the 12-minute showcase should unify rather than divide. The remarks, delivered with trademark bluntness, ignited an immediate culture clash that stretched from NFL war rooms to music-industry boardrooms and fan timelines across the country.

Jones’s statement drew sharp lines around what the league’s biggest broadcast should represent. To him, halftime is an extension of football’s core pageantry—anthem, flyover, and a performance calibrated to cross-generational audiences. He warned against what he called “division disguised as art,” suggesting that controversy-first programming undercuts the game at the center of the spectacle. Supporters echoed those themes, casting the Super Bowl as a unifying ritual that should lean into broadly familiar catalogs and patriotic motifs.

Critics pushed back, calling the comments out-of-step with the NFL’s increasingly global audience and the cross-cultural reality of modern pop. They noted that the Super Bowl has long functioned as both a football celebration and a mirror of mainstream music, and argued that Bad Bunny—whose streaming numbers and stadium tours span languages and continents—embodies the event’s global reach. For them, language is not a barrier to unity but a bridge, and a Spanish-forward set would reflect what millions of viewers already hear daily.

Inside league circles, executives worked to contain the blowback while reiterating that halftime bookings involve complex negotiations among the NFL, broadcasters, sponsors, and artists, often months or years in advance. Officials privately acknowledged the political temperature but emphasized production realities: staging, rights clearances, rehearsal windows, and a risk calculus that weighs headline value against potential controversy. The NFL Players Association monitored the rhetoric from a distance, mindful that off-field debates can bleed into game-week priorities.

Brand partners and media buyers, typically risk-averse, split along pragmatic lines. Some favored a return-to-basics template—legacy guests, familiar medleys, minimal flash—to reduce friction and keep attention on the game. Others argued that retreating from cultural breadth would shrink the tent at the exact moment the league is courting younger and more diverse viewers. Several floated compromise formats that pair a global headliner with heritage collaborators and unifying visual moments, seeking spectacle without a skirmish.

For artists, the dustup revived long-running questions about who gets to define “American tradition” on the country’s largest stage. Industry veterans noted that halftime has thrived when it marries impeccable craft with wide-angle inclusion, from multi-artist lineups to multilingual hooks that audiences feel before they translate. They cautioned, however, that televised politics—explicit or implied—can overshadow even flawless performances and leave both the league and performers managing fallout for weeks.

Fans, meanwhile, took the argument personal. Some saw Jones’s posture as protective—an owner guarding a rare common ritual. Others heard a narrower gatekeeping that confuses comfort with values. The only consensus was about stakes: halftime is no longer a sideshow but a cultural summit where programming signals who is invited to America’s biggest annual party.

What happens next will say as much about the NFL’s identity as any on-field storyline. Whether the league doubles down on a familiar playbook, leans into a global roster, or scripts a middle path, the decision will ripple far beyond 12 minutes of music. Jones has drawn a bold line. The league must now decide where to plant its flag.