Country Music Continues to Set Records … and Be Ignored by Super Bowl
On Saturday, September 27th, Zach Bryan played the largest ticketed event in American history. 112,408 people packed into Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor to witness Zach Bryan perform at the “Big House,” with John Mayer, Ryan Bingham and the Texas Gentlemen, and Joshua Slone supporting. Merchandise sales alone topped $5 million according to organizers, making it also the biggest merchandise sales event in history.
To break the record, Zach Bryan had to best George Strait who drew 110,905 people to the Home of Texas A&M Aggies, Kyle Field in Texas in 2024. George Strait was also 3rd (and now 4th) on the top of the list with a crowd of 104,793 that he drew for an event in New Jersey in 2024. The Grateful Dead’s concert at New Jersey’s Raceway Park in 1977 with 107,019 also on the list of top ticketed events.
What this all illustrates is the incredible popularity of country and country-adjacent artists currently, especially when it comes to live performances. And it’s hard to overlook how there is a football tie-in, since these records are being set in football stadiums, with Zach Bryan appearing in a Michigan University football jersey during Saturday’s show. Zach regularly trolls the internet with his unabashed Philadelphia Eagles fandom.
The day after Zach Bryan’s record-setting show in a football stadium, the NFL announced that for the 32nd year in a row, country music will not be featured during the halftime performance of the Super Bowl—arguably the biggest live entertainment event each year. Instead it will be the “King of Latin Trap” Bad Bunny taking the field.
You have to go all the way back to 1994 when Clint Black, Tanya Tucker, Travis Tritt, and The Judds performed to find the last and really only time country music was featured during the Super Bowl halftime. There hasn’t even been a country artist featured as a guest in over 20 years. For the record, Shania Twain appeared briefly with No Doubt in 2003, and Doug Kershaw also made a quick appearance in 1990 when the Super Bowl was in his native state of Louisiana.
Since the Super Bowl halftime show became a big deal in 1991 with New Kids on the Block taking the field, country music has really only been featured predominantly once. When you consider that it’s one of America’s popular genres—and arguably the most popular genre currently—this feels like a travesty.
There is a huge barrier standing between a country artist playing the Super Bowl halftime, and it’s not popularity or talent. The NFL partnered with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation in 2019 as their official “Live Music Entertainment Strategists.” This has put country music on the sidelines permanently like a 3rd string quarterback, and relegated it to pregame performances.
Making the Super Bowl halftime show exclusively the domain of hip-hop seems like a disservice to every other genre. At this point, the question isn’t whether a hip-hop performer will be chosen, but which one.
Country music is packing out football stadiums, and in record numbers. But for yet another year, it remains on the sidelines when it comes to the Super Bowl.
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September 30, 2025 @ 11:11 am
Realistically if they do a country halftime show it’s going to be someone like Morgan Wallen, so I’m fine with it being left out.
September 30, 2025 @ 12:46 pm
I remarked to my wife that I thought Luke Combs would also be another option other than Wallen. And doesn’t carry the political baggage Wallen still (slightly) carries.
I’m not excited for the half-time act, but I also haven’t been excited since…well…I can’t remember when. The half-time show is the time to go do anything else other than pay attention to it in between the actual game.
September 30, 2025 @ 3:43 pm
Morgan Wallen will never play the Super Bowl. Too controversial. It would be Chris Stapleton, Zach Bryan, Luke Combs, someone along those lines.
To me, it’s not a taste thing. It’s the principle that country music should have an opportunity to be represented at the biggest event each year in America.
September 30, 2025 @ 11:14 am
Unfortunately, the Super Bowl has turned into a joke as far as the halftime “entertainment”. I’m done with the NFL in general. The more traditionalist segment of our population has been insulted once again by this.
The NFL believes that they are bulletproof, and they’ve been proven right about that. Another misfit halftime act isn’t likely to sink them, but more people are going to tune out at halftime. Hopefully some more people will just skip the game, as I’ve done.
September 30, 2025 @ 11:37 am
I’m sorry the NFL did that to you.
September 30, 2025 @ 11:49 am
It’s the new kick off rules you don’t lke, huh?
September 30, 2025 @ 12:20 pm
sending thoughts and prayers for you during this troubling time
September 30, 2025 @ 3:47 pm
Gee, thanks…
I can live without the NFL. It doesn’t matter to me. Having some cross-dressing rapper who doesn’t even perform in English does, in fact, bother me. The NFL does not care about guys like me, and I’m fine with that. I expected the snark from my comment and expect more from this one.
September 30, 2025 @ 12:40 pm
And yet, seemingly every year, the NFL (Super Bowl in particular) set new viewership records or come close.
People will do as they have always done at half-time, go to the bathroom, grab something to drink and eat, have a smoke, etc.
And the world will keep spinning…
September 30, 2025 @ 11:22 am
Frankly, country music isn’t the spectacle that many of those other genres are. It’s a less attractive product to *watch* if you’re not already a fan of the music, because it’s intentionally more about the music than the pomp. And like the first Andrew up there said, I think all of the artists willing to make a big enough spectacle for a halftime show are not the ones we would want representing the genre.
September 30, 2025 @ 11:44 am
I might be wrong on this but I think you have to go back to Springsteen’s performance in 09′ when the vocals were completely live. I believe the instruments were all a backing track. (that has to do with zero time to soundcheck and to avoid logistical issues with setting all that up in zero time) Zach Bryan would be the most logical choice of a Country artists that would have completely live vocals at Super Bowl show. That would be good for Country music and good for music in general to have 100% live vocals at a Super Bowl show.
September 30, 2025 @ 11:48 am
Sportsball!
September 30, 2025 @ 11:55 am
I had a friend whose company produced Super Bowl halftime shows. He told me that the show is not meant to appeal to football fans. They are watching the game anyway. It is meant to attract non-fans (including the non-sports-loving partners of football fans). That is why it is what it is.
September 30, 2025 @ 12:06 pm
This.
Bad Bunny is designed to further the NFL’s influence into Latin America.
Hardcore fans complain but the league knows they will still watch. Want change? Stop watching.
September 30, 2025 @ 12:28 pm
A lot of annoyed fans, believe me. I heard some rock/ metal guys lamenting that there will never be a Metallica halftime show. And given JayZs hands in this id say they would be right. Country music at the Superbowl is a never to be realized , so far in the distance you can’t see it with a deep space telescope, dream.
Nobodys heard of Bad Bunny BTW. And nobody cares about him either. Hah!
September 30, 2025 @ 11:55 am
Beyonce will do her Cowboy Carter schtick in the next Super Bowl halftime show — so, no, Country Music isn’t being ignored by the NFL.
September 30, 2025 @ 1:11 pm
Beyonce already did that – she did the Cowboy Carter act at last year’s Christmas day game.
September 30, 2025 @ 3:24 pm
She be doin’ it again, yo.
She da queen bee.
September 30, 2025 @ 12:00 pm
So, obviously, as long as Jay Z is booking the acts, there won’t be any country.
Also, to some degree, country music fans and NFL fans intersect. If the goal is to please the existing audience, then sure a country act is fine. But if the goal is to get people who otherwise wouldn’t be watching to tune on, I don’t think a country act is particularly helpful.
For all the moaning about the hip hop half time shows, the Rianna performance was the highest rated halftime show in history (and I recall reading somewhere it had better rating than the game itself).
September 30, 2025 @ 12:18 pm
I mean no one you mentioned is even in the stratosphere of Bad Bunny. Like JF mentioned, they know people are going to be watching the game but now they are trying to appeal the show to those who normally wouldn’t even consider it. Mark my words, Bad Bunny will be the most watched halftime show ever.
September 30, 2025 @ 3:46 pm
I don’t take issue with Bad Bunny. Don’t know his music. I’m sure he’s a popular guy. It just seems strange to me that country music seems to be completely off limits for this opportunity. If the shoe was on the other foot and they never featured a hip-hop performer, you can imagine what the press would be saying.
September 30, 2025 @ 12:30 pm
Ryan Bingham is horrible. You get in Yellowstone and you’re a big time singer? Can’t sing. Cant write better then the average joe. Fix this saving country music. If you want to save it don’t mention people who have no business being in the business. If you can’t sing and can’t write, your out. That’s how it once was. I’m sure his band mates now how bad he is they just go for the ride.
September 30, 2025 @ 12:38 pm
Sounds from what i’ve read that they were more interested in booking an anti-Trump act than caring about what type of music is it, and country music doesn’t fit their agenda.
September 30, 2025 @ 12:44 pm
Yeah, kinda doubt it was an “anti-Trump act” as the motive. First off, Goodell and Jay Z were both recently hanging out at the White House and/or with Trump schmoozing for their business interests.
Secondly, this whole narrative that “big business is against Trump” is a joke. That may have been true in Trump 1.0, but in Trump 2.0 they have overwhelmingly placated him. FFS, Apple is giving him Gold figurines to try and avoid tariffs on their phones. Google just settled for millions for banning his YouTube channel 5 years ago. The list goes on.
Trump isn’t fighting with big business. Big business is happily kissing the ring this time around. Any attempt to say otherwise is simply not based in facts.
Bad Bunny is a major act with the young, Latino audience the NFL is courting. That’s why he is booked. Full stop.
September 30, 2025 @ 12:49 pm
And where did you rerad that at? I can’t wait, this should be good.
September 30, 2025 @ 12:58 pm
Actually kind of excited for Bad Bunny since it’s a little different than the past few years.
September 30, 2025 @ 12:59 pm
The NFL is trying to reach a global audience. The typical country fan already watches the NFL. Honestly, Zach Bryan or MW would be a snooze fest.
Latin music, along with country, has grown in popularity. Check Bad Bunny’s streaming numbers on YouTube, some views are in the billions.
Bad Bunny has participated in WrestleMania so it’s not like he’s unknown to some sports fans (yes I know it’s “professional” wrestling).
September 30, 2025 @ 1:17 pm
Exactly, I think lot of people don’t realize how big globally Bad Bunny is. There’s no one in country that is even half as popular as he is. Plus no one else in country has won a San Juan Street Fight
September 30, 2025 @ 1:31 pm
There will obviously be big production with multiple celebs peppered into the dance crew again – just like last time.
September 30, 2025 @ 1:16 pm
I agree with your sentiment Trigger: country music deserves commensurate representation in Super Bowl halftime (and other public square events). However, the Zach Bryan appeal is mystifying. Emo folk music isn’t exactly what I consider good country music, and I don’t think he would fit the moment of a Super Bowl half time show.
September 30, 2025 @ 1:41 pm
I don’t think there is a half time super bowl show I have ever cared for. Maybe the first one, when I think it was just a high school band. What they should do is have Taylor Swift do the show. After all she will probably be there anyway.
September 30, 2025 @ 1:49 pm
I was hoping for Taylor Swift
September 30, 2025 @ 2:05 pm
You must be a Chiefs fan.
September 30, 2025 @ 2:01 pm
American men: stop giving the NFL your time and attention. They have told you a thousand times and a thousand ways that they hate you, and yet you guys still watch. Stop.
September 30, 2025 @ 2:14 pm
How have they done that?
September 30, 2025 @ 2:17 pm
College football caters more to country music and I’m fine with that as I watch less and less NFL every season.
I’ve always preferred the wider hash marks in college which gets your best offensive players in space. But with the new gimmicky NFL kick off landing zone rules and with over 1/2 the NFL stadiums becoming domed (there no such thing as retractable roofs) in the next few years, I don’t know what I’m watching anymore.
And I have no idea what a bad rabbit does. Nor do I care.