Kid Rock Calls Jay-Z a “DEI hire”

Kid Rock ignited a debate by calling Jay-Z a “DEI hire” for the NFL’s halftime show production after the 2026 Super Bowl. He said the league chose Jay-Z’s Roc Nation partly to satisfy diversity, equity and inclusion goals rather than purely for art or ratings. Rock said he respected Jay-Z’s career but still criticized the decision on Fox News.

Jay‑Z first became officially involved with the NFL in 2019, when the league announced a partnership with his company, Roc Nation, to produce the Super Bowl halftime show and offer music, talent, and entertainment consulting.

The deal gave Jay‑Z and Roc Nation authority to curate halftime performers, select musical acts, and help shape cultural content for big events, including the Super Bowl and NFL promotional campaigns.

Since then, he has played a role in booking diverse artists like Rihanna, The Weeknd, Kendrick Lamar, and Bad Bunny, bringing a mix of hip‑hop, R&B, and pop to the halftime stage.

Halftime Show Viewership: Bad Bunny vs Kid Rock

The official Super Bowl halftime show, headlined by Bad Bunny, drew massive viewership. Nielsen data shows it averaged 128.2 million U.S. viewers, making it one of the most-watched halftime shows ever, and slightly topping the game’s average of 124.9 million viewers.

By contrast, Turning Point USA’s alternative All-American Halftime Show, featuring Kid Rock and other artists, drew far fewer viewers. Estimates show about 5 to 6.1 million concurrent viewers on YouTube when it aired, and total online views later reached around 20-21 million across platforms.

Even accounting for online growth, the official halftime show’s reach was many times larger than the alternative. Bad Bunny’s performance also set social media records, amassing billions of global views after the broadcast. The contrast highlights both the NFL’s broad mainstream pull and the niche audience for political counter-programming. Looks like Jay Z is doing a great job to me.