FCC receives hundreds of complaints about Bad Bunny's vulgar Super Bowl performance

At a glance:

• The FCC logged 2,155 complaints about the Super Bowl LVIII halftime show, most citing vulgarity in Bad Bunny's performance.
• Texas, Florida and California filed the most complaints, with 497 mentioning the word “vulgar” and 735 referencing “Spanish”.
• FCC commissioner Anna Gomez reviewed the transcript and found no broadcast rule violations.

What happened

The halftime show at Super Bowl LVIII, headlined by Puerto Rican star Bad Bunny, was watched by more than 128 million television viewers and over 4 billion people across broadcast, YouTube and social media platforms, according to the NFL, Apple Music and Roc Nation. After the performance, a Freedom of Information Act request filed by WIRED revealed that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) received 2,155 formal complaints about the event, the majority of which focused on the halftime segment.

Complaints came from a wide geographic spread, but the top three states were Texas, Florida and California. Among the filings, 497 used the term “vulgar,” 735 mentioned “Spanish,” and 919 specifically named Bad Bunny. Some viewers objected to the Spanish lyrics, while others were disturbed by the on‑stage dancing, which they described as “perreo‑intense grinding, hip thrusting, and twerking” that simulated sexual activity. A number of complainants also expressed concern that children who understood Spanish were exposed to the explicit content.

Why it matters

The volume of complaints underscores how Super Bowl halftime shows continue to serve as cultural flashpoints for broader sociopolitical debates, especially around language, immigration and sexual expression. Several submissions referenced Bad Bunny’s Puerto Rican heritage, with one viewer from Raleigh, North Carolina, labeling the performers “illegals” and questioning the presence of Spanish on a national broadcast. These remarks echo longstanding right‑wing narratives that conflate non‑English content with illegal immigration.

Historically, the FCC has received complaints after many halftime performances, but the Bad Bunny case stands out for its focus on language and perceived indecency. By contrast, Kendrick Lamar’s 2022 halftime show generated only 125 complaints, primarily centered on the lack of white performers rather than vulgarity. The disparity highlights how the political climate can shape the nature of viewer grievances.

Reactions and political fallout

A few days after the show, Republican lawmakers urged the FCC to investigate both the NFL and NBC, the network that aired the performance. Commissioner Anna Gomez complied by requesting the full transcript of the halftime segment. After a careful review, she concluded that the broadcast did not violate any FCC rules and warned against “harassing broadcasters over a standard live performance.” Her statement was quoted by Reuters and emphasized the agency’s commitment to free expression within existing regulations.

Representatives for Bad Bunny and NBC did not immediately comment on the complaints. However, the public discourse continued, with some viewers noting that the performance was streamed on Peacock as well as aired on NBC, expanding its reach. Approximately thirty complaints referenced the two male dancers who performed together, labeling the choreography as depicting “gay sex openly on the screen.” Other submissions mentioned former President Donald Trump’s signature Truth Social sign‑off, “Thank you for your attention to this matter,” appearing in thirty complaints.

The episode illustrates the tension between artistic freedom and segments of the audience that demand stricter content standards, especially when cultural and linguistic differences are involved. As future halftime shows increasingly feature global artists and multilingual performances, regulators and broadcasters may need to navigate a more complex landscape of viewer expectations and political pressure.