Taylor Swift Reportedly Turned Down Super Bowl Halftime After NFL Refused Her Big Demand

Reports suggest that Taylor Swift’s discussions about headlining the Super Bowl Halftime show broke down after the NFL allegedly turned down what was described as one of her 'major requests'.

If things had gone differently, fans around the world would be celebrating the announcement of Swift taking center stage at the February 2026 show. Instead, Swifties were left disappointed as the opportunity slipped away.

On September 28, the NFL officially confirmed that Bad Bunny would be the one stepping onto the Halftime stage, making history as the first Puerto Rican-born artist to ever headline the event.

The rapper, whose full name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, shared his excitement over the honor and spoke out shortly after the news was made public.

He said: "What I'm feeling goes beyond myself. It's for those who came before me and ran countless yards so I could come in and score a touchdown."

"This is for my people, my culture, and our history. Ve y dile a tu abuela, que seremos el HALFTIME SHOW DEL SUPER BOWL. (Go and tell grandma that we will be the HALFTIME SHOW of the Super Bowl)."

Swift and NFL couldn't agree on this one thing Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

Before the announcement, a number of other acts were rumored to be in the running for the show, with Swift sitting high on the list. The buzz grew even more after NFL commissioner Roger Goodell openly invited her to perform.

During an appearance on the Today Show, Goodell said: "We would always love to have Taylor play. She is a special, special talent and obviously, she would be welcome at any time."

When asked directly if Swift was being lined up for the role, he danced around the question, adding: "I can't tell you anything about that. It's a maybe."

However, entertainment journalist Rob Shuter claimed the talks ultimately collapsed. According to him, the NFL and Swift, who is now engaged to Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce, failed to reach a deal over control of performance footage.

WCNC reported that Swift allegedly wanted to 'retain ownership of her performance and secure slots promoting her own projects', but the NFL was not willing to meet those terms.

TalkSport later cited an industry insider who said: "She knows the kind of ratings she brings, the global attention she commands. She wasn't about to hand that over for free."

Bad Bunny will be performing at this year's Superbowl halftime show Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue

"The NFL flatly refused. Taylor Swift doesn't need exposure. She wanted a deal that reflected her value."

Meanwhile, before being officially confirmed as the Halftime performer, Bad Bunny had explained why he chose not to include US venues in his upcoming Debí Tirar Más Fotos World Tour.

He revealed that he was worried about possible ICE raids at stadiums in the United States, which influenced his decision to avoid those stops altogether.