Bob Kupbens/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
There was little doubt Bad Bunny was going to be joined by some notable guests when he performed at the halftime show at Super Bowl LX. A Canadian rapper with ties to Drake was very confident Cardi B would not be one of them based on the bet he placed on Polymarket before The Big Game, but it came back to bite him after she showed up.
The Patriots and the Seahawks may have been the main attraction in Super Bowl LX, but there was also plenty of chatter about Bad Bunny, who found himself at the center of some incredibly overblown controversy after he was tapped to perform at the halftime show.
The Puerto Rican superstar lived up to his reputation as a consummate entertainer with a nearly 14-minute medley of hits that included musical contributions from Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin as well as a real, actual wedding involving a couple that received an invitation to tie the knot on the field after asking him to attend their nuptials.
There were also some cameos from some big names who got the chance to join the party toward the beginning of his performance, including Cardi B, whose presence ended up being very costly for a Canadian rapper who appeared to be under the impression he could use his status as an industry insider to profit.
Preme lost $178K after Polymarket ruled Cardi B’s presence at the Super Bowl halftime show counted as a “performance”
Prediction markets have recently emerged as a prime destination for gamblers who aren’t satisfied with the action that’s offered at more traditional sportsbooks, and Polymarket had plenty of de facto bets involving Super Bowl LX.
That included predictions pertaining to the halftime show, and Preme, a rapper who’s been tight with Drake since kicking off his career in the late 2000s, hopped on that platform the day before the game to make what he seemingly assumed would be some easy money.
While there’s no concrete proof that he had any inside information, you have to imagine his relationship with Drake had something to do with the approximately $5,000 he threw down in the hopes of netting around $300 if he did not end up performing alongside Bad Bunny at halftime.
He was seemingly much more confident Cardi B would not be contributing, as he dropped a little more than $178,000 to try to take home close to $260,000 if she didn’t show up.
However, the “Bodak Yellow” rapper (who may or may not have broken up with Patriots WR Stefon Diggs after the Super Bowl) was spotted grooving alongside other celebrities, including Pedro Pascal and Jessica Alba, when Bad Bunny pulled out “Yo Perreo Sola.”
She may not have actually hopped on the microphone, but Polymarket ruled her appearance could be classified as a “performance,” which meant Preme’s stake became essentially worthless.
He hopped online to protest that decision in a now-deleted tweet, but it seems like it fell on deaf ears.
Bummer.