Super Bowl 2026: Bad Bunny drew eyes to a boring game, but NBC did its best

The buildup to Sunday’s Super Bowl LX seemed to be less about the game than about Bad Bunny’s halftime show.

In a way, that’s the same as what probably happened at a lot of Super Bowl parties.

Unless you are a big fan of the Seahawks or Patriots,  this Super Bowl was about everything other than the game. It was about the entertainment, the wings and nachos, the concern (or, for some, the hope) that politics in this unique moment in American history would be introduced at some point during the evening.

But NBC’s broadcast had to be about the game. A good one would be remembered for years. A bad one would be forgotten as soon as your office box pool was paid out.

Neutral fans tune in to see touchdowns, not defensive dominance. The first touchdown in this game wasn’t scored until 13:24 remained in the fourth quarter and Mr. Bunny and his dancers were in post-show mode.

But NBC did the best it could with the eventual 29-13 Seahawks victory. The Peacock network, which is in the midst of its “Legendary February” with the Winter Olympics and the return of the NBA, put on a good show.

NBC for two weeks had to hype a matchup that didn’t exactly scream “must-see TV!” the way last year’s Kansas City-Philadelphia game did (thank you, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce).

Along with America’s No. 1 couple, Kansas City was at the end of its dynasty, and people tuned in to hate-watch. The Eagles’ victory was a salve to those who were sick of always seeing Kansas City in The Big Game and also were tired of the constant attention given to Swift and Kelce.

Sunday’s game had the Patriots, who once were a dynasty of their own. But that ended in 2019, and it seems as if rooting against New England isn’t as necessary when Tom Brady and Bill Belichick aren’t there to dislike/envy. The Patriots were the plucky underdogs, which felt off.

So what does NBC do when the matchup is kind of — to quote one of those non-funny YouTube TV commercials featuring the other Kelce brother — “meh”?

You lean on crisp, clean production and a clean, crisp call by Queens native Mike Tirico in his first time as Super Bowl play-by-play man.

Tirico also is the lead voice for NBC’s coverage of the Olympics. Sure, there were plenty of ads for the Olympics, but NBC didn’t beat us over the head with it the way the network could have.

“Sixty minutes to crown the Super Bowl 60 champs,” Tirico said in a polished line during the opening kickoff.

Tirico is smooth, professional, prepared and accurate. He doesn’t bring attention to himself, has a measured and distinctive voice, and is happy to let Cris Collinsworth make the analyst points.

Collinsworth said at the outset that Drake Maye had to be great for the Patriots to win. Maye, with the Seahawks’ defensive line in his face all night, was not great as the Patriots fell into a 19-0 hole before their first touchdown.

Sunday was Collinsworth’s sixth Super Bowl. He can annoy some viewers with points that seem obvious, such as “we need to see New England get the ball in the hands of some of their playmakers” when it was 3-0 Seattle early in the second quarter.

And when it was 19-0, Collinsworth gave himself credit by recalling his pronouncement that Maye had to be great for the Patriots to win. He was right, of course, but the pat on his own back had to chafe some viewers.

But Collinsworth knows football, articulates what he is seeing confidently, and comes across as super-pumped. At this point, with the number of years he’s been doing this, Collinsworth is either your cup of tea or he isn’t.

The Super Bowl is rotating among the networks from year to year; ABC and ESPN have the game next year.

Last year, Brady was the analyst as a rookie broadcaster and proved that, while he was great as a quarterback, he was just OK as an announcer.

Brady did become an easier listen as this season went on and should be better suited for the task when Fox gets the game back in 2029 — assuming he hasn’t made a comeback to the field by then.

Next year’s Super Bowl, by the way, will be played on Valentine’s Day. It’s going to be an interesting choice for the halftime show — and for Date Night.

By Anthony Rieber

anthony.rieber@newsday.comAnthonyRieber

Anthony Rieber covers sports media and business and professional sports (you know, games and trades and things). He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since Jan. 1, 2026.