- - Turning Point alternative Super Bowl halftime show draws millions

Bailey Allen, USA TODAY NETWORK - New EnglandFebruary 9, 2026 at 10:25 AM

0

A conservative political group cofounded by late activist Charlie Kirk livestreamed an alternative halftime show Sunday, Feb. 8, as the official Apple Music Super Bowl 60 halftime show aired on NBC.

Turning Point USA announced plans for its "All-American Halftime Show" after Puerto Rican megastar Bad Bunny was tapped for this year's Super Bowl halftime performance.

The selection drew backlash, including from President Donald Trump, who told Newsmax he had "never heard" of the popular Puerto Rican rapper.

Bad Bunny, who performs primarily in Spanish, recently spoke out against Trump's immigration enforcement actions at the Grammy Awards, saying "ICE out" during his acceptance speech.

The conservative organization began streaming the alternative halftime show just after 8 p.m. ET on Turning Point's YouTube channel. The group described the show as an "opportunity for all Americans to enjoy a halftime show with no agenda other than to celebrate faith, family and freedom."

The alternative show opened with an introduction by Turning Point activist Jack Posobiec.

"This one's for you, Charlie," Posobiec said, referring to Charlie Kirk.

An electric guitar rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" kicked off the show. Kid Rock, Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice, and Gabby Barrett all performed, and pyrotechnics lit up the stage during several parts of the production.

During Gilbert's mini-set, he performed the songs "Real American" and "Dirt Road Anthem."

The Turning Point USA logo is seen on the stage during an "American Comeback Tour" stop in Burruss Hall at Virgina Tech university in Blacksburg, Virginia, on September 24, 2025.

The YouTube livestream passed 4.7 million viewers during Barrett's performance of "I Hope," around 8:20 p.m. ET, just before Lady Gaga took the stage as a special guest in Bad Bunny's NFL halftime show performance. Barrett also sang "The Good Ones."

Brice performed "Drinking Class" and gave a short tribute to Kirk.

"Well, Charlie, he gave people microphones so they could say what was on their mind. This is what's on mine," he said before playing the opening notes of his next song, "Country Nowadays."

"I just want to cut my grass, feed my dogs, wear my boots. Not turn the TV on, sit and watch the evening news, be told if I tell my own daughter that little boys ain't little girls, I'll be up the creek in hot water..." Brice appeared to sing.

When it was the headliner's turn to perform, Kid Rock's name appeared in lights and an American flag unfurled as he jumped onto the stage. He started with the song "Bawitdaba" before a classical music interlude. He then sang a cover of Cody Johnson's "Til You Can't."

The TPUSA show ended with a short video montage honoring Kirk, the group's cofounder, who was assassinated during a speaking engagement at Utah Valley University in September 2025.

A graphic at the end read: "In loving memory of our founder and CEO, Charlie Kirk," along with the Bible verse Isaiah 6:8, "Here am I, send me."

Turning Point's halftime show lasted a few minutes longer than the official halftime show, even cutting into a bit of playing time before ending around 8:47 p.m. ET.

How many people watched TPUSA's alternative halftime show?

Turning Point USA's alternative halftime show drew around 5 million viewers on YouTube, according to the video platform's live view counter.

Viewership numbers for the official Apple Music Super Bowl 60 halftime show featuring Bad Bunny were not immediately available.

More than 125 million people were expected to watch the football game Sunday night, based on past Super Bowl ratings from Nielsen Media Research. Nielsen estimated 127.7 million viewers watched Super Bowl 59, the largest audience for a Super Bowl.

Anna Kaufman, James Powel, and Brendan Morrow of USA TODAY contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Turning Point alternative halftime show draws millions

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”