Bad Bunny’s halftime show hit a cord requests for Spanish lessons spiked on Duolingo

¿Cómo se dice “influence”?

Duolingo says Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime performance sparked a surge in users learning Spanish as viewers seemingly turned to the app to understand the lyrics.

Duolingo shared a graph on social media Monday showing app usage stayed near normal during the early part of the Super Bowl broadcast but spiked sharply after Bad Bunny took the stage shortly after 8 p.m. EST at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, where the Seattle Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots, suggesting viewers began or increased their Spanish study in real time.

The company admitted it’s too early to tell whether the surge will last, asking in a playful note on X, “Is this what a one-night stand feels like?”

Duolingo is known for such cheeky humor online, often delivered by its green owl mascot named Duo.

In the days leading up to the Super Bowl, the company posted daily reminders from Duo, urging social media users to prep for the halftime show, including, “You have 3 days to learn Spanish for the halftime show, don’t disappoint me.”

On Sunday, the company Photoshopped Duo’s head onto a Bad Bunny Calvin Klein ad, writing, “Today’s the day, did you learn Spanish? Time to cram.”

After Seattle’s victory, Duo joked, “I’m so glad a green bird won the Spanish concert.”

The Independent has contacted Duolingo for comment.

The 31-year-old Puerto Rican rapper, whose real name is Benito Martínez, and made history Sunday as the first solo Latino artist to headline the Super Bowl halftime show, performing nearly entirely in Spanish.

During a news conference Thursday, Bad Bunny teased his performance, saying, “It’s going to be fun and it’s going to be easy and people only have to worry about dance. I know that I told them that they had four months to learn Spanish. They don’t even have to learn Spanish. It’s better if they learn to dance.”

Preliminary reports indicate his performance also became the most-watched halftime show ever, drawing approximately 135.4 million viewers and surpassing Kendrick Lamar’s 133.3 million at last year’s Super Bowl LIX.

The final, confirmed numbers could differ slightly when the NFL releases its official data, which is expected Tuesday after 4 p.m EST, NFL media insider Richard Deitsch said Monday.

Bad Bunny’s halftime performance sparked debate, with fans and critics alike celebrating his vibrant showcase of Puerto Rican culture, messages of unity, and guest appearances by Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin. Meanwhile, MAGA Republicans, including President Donald Trump, complained they couldn’t understand the Spanish lyrics and criticized the “disgusting” choreography featured throughout the show.