SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA. Organizers of Super Bowl LX said the 2026 halftime show, scheduled to feature Bad Bunny, will be presented by a dog waste bag brand that secured the slot after outbidding other sponsors for the minutes in which the artist is expected to perform.
The league and host committee described the arrangement as a standard commercial decision tied to pricing, not preference. In a joint statement, organizers said the halftime show remains “an open marketplace moment” and that the selected sponsor “submitted the most competitive offer for placement during the performance window.”
“This was not a partial decision,” a spokesperson for the organizing committee said. “This was the company that was willing to pay the most to be present at that specific time.”
Representatives for Bad Bunny, who are continuing preparations for the show, said they were informed of the presenting sponsor and objected to the pairing, describing it as misaligned with the artist’s image and the cultural weight of the performance.
“Associating this performance with a product designed for immediate disposal sends a message we did not choose,” a member of the artist’s team said. They added that the sponsorship was being treated internally as “a branding decision made around the performance, not with it.”
Some fans responded similarly, saying the placement felt like a deliberate mismatch, particularly because the sponsor’s product is widely recognized as a tool for routine cleanup.
“It’s not that the product is bad,” said one Bad Bunny fan outside Levi’s Stadium this week, visiting during a separate event. “It’s that this is the one moment they pick to remind everyone what their dog did five minutes ago.”
The sponsor, meanwhile, framed the deal as a public service and said it intends to make the most of its visibility. Company representatives said the halftime segment will include “live demonstrations” featuring dogs and handlers, meant to show how the bags work, while the performance is underway.
According to preliminary planning materials shared by the sponsor, the demonstrations will take place in designated areas near the field-level perimeter and will be integrated into broadcast cutaways and in-stadium screens “when production allows.” The company said the goal is to normalize what it called “responsible participation” in large communal events.
“Our product is used during major life moments,” the company said in a statement. “This is a major life moment.”
Organizers said the sponsor’s planned demonstrations are under review, noting that all on-field activations must meet broadcast and venue requirements. Officials said the halftime show’s creative direction remains unchanged, while acknowledging that the commercial presentation of the segment is “a separate operational lane.”
Industry analysts said the dispute reflects a broader shift in how sponsors treat cultural events as platforms for practical messaging, particularly in categories tied to home routines. In recent years, they said, brands associated with everyday maintenance have competed more aggressively for premium entertainment inventory, arguing that the moments people most want to remember are also the moments they most need to manage.
Super Bowl LX is scheduled for February 2026 in Santa Clara, and planners said the halftime show will proceed with full production, subject to the same conditions as every other major broadcast event: timing, money, and cleanup.
