The NFL is holding emergency meetings. Turns out they never liked the idea of an alternate halftime show. Remember, this is all about money and it opens the door to competition. Especially when it’s driven by their own fan base and culture.
They expected it to be a one-time thing because it was Bad Bunny, singing only in Spanish, calling out ICE, and having President Trump there. Their estimate was that no more than 3 million people would switch to the alternate halftime show. And that this would discourage Turning Point USA and make them think twice about doing it again.
Well, let me tell you what happened. The Turning Point USA halftime show peaked at 6.1 million live viewers during its livestream. With that, it became the most-watched live stream in United States history on YouTube. That sent a clear message not only to Turning Point USA but to the entire market: there is an audience and there is money to be made. Exactly the kind of competition the NFL did not want.
And that’s not all. With 6.1 million peak viewers during the live stream, it became the second most-watched live event in the world in YouTube history, tying with the Brazil vs. Croatia Quarterfinal match, World Cup, Dec 9, 2022 (also 6.1 million). The number one spot is still held by Chandrayaan-3 Mission Soft-landing LIVE, August 23, 2023 (8.09 million).
All of this with a show that had only 5 months of preparation. So just imagine what could happen if they had a full year to plan it and with sponsors. Even YouTube itself is going to want this to continue. I don’t think there’s any going back.
This is what happens when you lose touch with your audience, your core customer base, and on top of that, turn your back on them. It happens in thousands of businesses. You focused on trying to penetrate other markets and see if you could reach the Latino market, at the expense of your main, highest-paying customer base, and now you’re going to get the bill. Remember Bud Light, Disney, Target.
Right now on YouTube, the Turning Point USA halftime show has 20.655 million views. The NFL and its sponsor sell the broadcast rights to a TV channel; their “live stream” doesn’t actually go out on YouTube, it only gets uploaded after the live event. That one currently has barely 40 million views.
In other words, the Turning Point USA halftime show has 20 million views and the NFL one — which gets pushed by the entire NFL promotional platform — only has 40 million on YouTube. In business terms, a new entrant competitor with just 5 months of preparation already pulling that kind of viewership on YouTube, while you — with the full NFL platform behind you — only manage 40 million, is more than concerning.
Go Woke, Go Broke. It never fails.
