TPUSA Pulled MILLIONS of Viewers Away From the Biggest TV Event of the Year

What this episode is about

TPUSA achieved remarkable success by pulling millions of viewers away from the Super Bowl with a live stream that garnered over 5 million viewers on YouTube, ranking among the largest in the platform's history. Despite this significant achievement, there has been criticism from the conservative community, prompting frustrations about the lack of support for TPUSA's bold programming decision.

Key takeaways

• TPUSA's halftime show was a bold swing—5 million viewers proves audacity can outplay tradition.
• Nitpicking success is a conservative sport; some celebrate while others critique Kid Rock's star power.
• Going head-to-head with the Super Bowl? That's like skydiving without a parachute—thrilling but risky.
• 20 million views on multiple platforms show that alternative voices are gaining traction in a polarized media landscape.
• In a world of complains, TPUSA actually built an alternative; action beats online rambling every time.

Who speaks in this episode?

• Matt Walsh (Host) · 16 min speaking

What is discussed, and when

1. 0:00 – 3:00: TPUSA, NFL
2. 3:00 – 6:00: Kid Rock, NFL
3. 6:00 – 9:00: Kid Rock, NFL
4. 9:00 – 12:00: TPUSA, NFL
5. 12:00 – 15:00: Krux Lentin Challenge, Ascension Press
6. 15:00 – 17:05: Krux Lentin Challenge, Ascension Press

Notable quotes from "TPUSA Pulled MILLIONS of Viewers Away From the Biggest TV Event of the Year"

• You're going to counterprogram the Super Bowl and you're going to do it on platforms where there's a scoreboard where we can all see how many viewers.

  about NFL · at 2:09

• And if you don't get it, then it's an embarrassment, you know. And this is the first big really big swing they've taken after Charlie was killed.

  about Charlie Kirk · at 4:10

• I didn't like I didn't like the performer. I wish they got someone other than Kid Rock.

  about Kid Rock · at 5:26

• So that's why the why TPUSA should have got a bigger headliner. They should have done that instead. Why did they get Taylor Swift?

  about TPUSA · at 11:18

• Spiritual change? Our sponsors and friends of Ascension Press invite you to join them for the Krux Lentin Challenge, a daily program that teaches you how to surrender your life…

  about Krux Lentin Challenge · at 14:16

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

• Kid Rock — Person · Referenced performer / headliner · 3 mentions · first at 5:29
  Mentioned as the musical headliner TPUSA booked for its Super Bowl-halftime counterprogramming livestream; the speaker defends the choice against conservative critics.
• Charlie Kirk — Person · Founder of TPUSA · 1 mention
  His death is referenced as a significant event impacting the context of the discussion.

Companies & orgs

• TPUSA — Company · Business focus · 2 mentions · first at 1:46
  Conservative organization that counterprogrammed the Super Bowl halftime show, achieving significant viewership.
• NFL — Company · Competitor · 4 mentions · first at 2:09
  Target of TPUSA's counterprogramming during the Super Bowl halftime show.

Sponsors

• Krux Lentin Challenge — Product · Sponsor product · 2 mentions · first at 14:21
  Daily program for Lent sponsored by Ascension Press, promoting spiritual change.
• Ascension Press — Company · Sponsor · 2 mentions · first at 14:18
  Sponsor of the Krux Lentin Challenge mentioned in the podcast.
  Question. How do you plan to approach this season so you see a real lasting spiritual change? Our sponsors and friends of Ascension Press invite you to join them for the Krux…

Full transcript with timestamps

0:00 This is lame. This is bad. This is actually really bad. No, no, no, no. Don't Don't actually do anything. Just Just tweet about it. That's all we're supposed to be doing. Uh, one other thing I had one other headline I wanted to get to, but I kind of I I feel uh I also wanted to circle back to this halftime show because there's one other thing that I think is worth mentioning. And I mentioned the uh TPUSA uh show and it was a a huge success. Like huge is an understatement. I mean 5 million live viewers just on YouTube. I think a little bit more than that. So one of the biggest live streams in the history of the platform um out of the out of the millions of live streams that have been done this was top two or three. I think it was the biggest live stream in the history of you know for American uh YouTubers ever and uh and then now that the video is up to 20 million views just since last night and just on one platform. This was

1:07 also this was on Rumble, this was on Daily Wire, this was on you know this was on a bunch of I think it was on X a bunch of other platforms and so massive win. What what I I guess the the theme of the show today being fed up. What I'm also fed up with are all of the conservatives nitpicking and counter signaling and complaining. And there's a lot of that going on today a after the TPUSA show. And I'm so sick of it. I really am. I'm I'm fed up with it. TPUSA gets this incredible win. I mean, they go out and take a big swing.

1:52 Do you realize how insane this is? Do you realize what, as someone from the outside, I had nothing to do with this whatsoever. So, just from as an outside observer, okay, this is crazy. Like, what they did was crazy. You're going to counterprogram the Super Bowl and you're going to do it on platforms where there's a scoreboard where we can all see how many viewers you're getting. That that's insane. That's the kind of thing that I if I don't know if they had come to me and and told me the plan and said, "What do you think?"

2:33 I probably would have said, "Yeah, it's like you you should go for it. Sounds exciting, but I might have said I, you know, I think that that's a maybe not. Like, I don't know if you should take that risk because here's the thing. You're calling your shot and you need to hit a grand slam. To mix metaphors, as uh John Caseich was, to borrow from his playbook, you got to hit a grand slam or it's a failure. Like you need to get not thousands of viewers and not even hundreds of thousands, but millions, tens of millions. You need millions of live viewers and tens of millions of total viewers or it's an embarrassment, right? Cuz you're going up against the Super Bowl. Now, you're not going to get, you know, the Super Bowl averages 120 million uh viewers, 140 million or whatever globally. You're not going to do that. Obviously, you don't need to.

3:26 But to make a dent, to get a win, you need millions. Like, it needs to be noticeable to the NFL. And they're never going to give us these numbers ever, but like they have to be able to notice that viewership dropped off during the halftime show because people were going over to TPUSA. And again, they're never going to tell us that, but internally, the NFL needs to notice it. If you get a hund, you know, if you get 500,000 viewers total, that that that that's a that you don't even notice that it's got to be so big that it would be noticed internally by the NFL, which I guarantee it was.

4:10 And uh and if you don't get it, then it's an embarrassment, you know. And this is the first big really big swing they've taken after Charlie was killed. So this is and they're, you know, it's like there's a lot at stake and they went out and did it. I mean, they built an alternative, which is what we say we want. They did more than just complain. Everyone's complaining about the halftime show. I complained about it that they're having this anti-American halftime show. It's going to not even be in English. They're bringing in this guy who's not American uh to to to perform for a non-American audience.

4:47 Football is an American pastime. It's an American institution. And uh so we're all complaining about TP USA says, "Well, well, okay, here's one thing we could do. We'll do our own that'll send a message." And uh they went up against the big boys and they delivered a big win. I mean, that's that is it's crazy. I I don't know if it just I don't know if everyone quite appreciates what an accomplishment it is. And now I go on X and I mean there's a lot of conservatives that are happy about it and they're celebrating it which is great. But I also see a bunch of conservatives whining, complaining, nitpicking.

5:26 I didn't like I didn't like the performer. I wish they got someone other than Kid Rock. First of all, they they should have got someone bigger. I know what they should have done differently. They should have had a more famous person. Kid Rock was not They should have had a bigger pop star. First of all, do you idiots think they didn't think of that? You think it never occurred to them to try to get a big- time pop star who's f like, you know, relevant right now in the current year? Of course they did. Like, you're not saying anything. Well, I I you did this, but I think it should have been better. I think it should have been bigger. I think it I think I think it should have been it should have been more. You should have got more famous people. Oh, wow. Thanks for that insight. That's a Thanks for that valuable criticism. No one ever thought of that until you said it.

6:22 No, I'm sure the people at TPUSA, they thought that Kid Rock is just the biggest artist in in the world and like there's no one bigger. That's what they thought. No, it it couldn't be that they're aware of this, but it's really difficult to get someone to agree to something like this. because you're TPUSA, so you're a conservative organization that already rules out most people who are in the entertainment business and you're going up against the the the Super Bowl halftime show. It could be a huge embarrassment. So, even most artists who would might otherwise be tempted, they're looking at this and saying, "Well, what if we like, you know, I mean, what if I only get 500,000 viewers? It's going to look like I'm not a big star. That's going to be a reflection of me.

7:15 And so, you know, they got Kid Rock. They got the biggest fish they could. And Kid Rock is a big name. He's also, by the way, an actually talented multiaceted musician. You don't have to like his music, but he is like he is he is objectively a much more talented musician than Bad Bunny. Like, like by far, not even close. And uh so they went they got the biggest name they could and they and and then it's like make it as big of an event as you can because here's the thing, think long term, which is what they're doing.

7:45 This is why it's smart. If if the gamble pays off, which it did next year, well now you you just had one of the biggest streams in history. like you put on a show that tens of millions of people are going to see. Well, now and very smartly, it was not political. So, they didn't have it wasn't a bunch of like Democrat bashing and and and all that kind of stuff. It was just it was a it was a show with a huge audience. Well, next year it's going to be much easier for bigger names to sign on cuz now you have this. You're like, "Hey, we got this." They'll end up with a total of what? You know, we'll see.

8:27 Maybe they end up with a total of 60 million or 50 or 60 million who watch this thing. Well, next year they can go to big like huge name stars and they can say, "Hey, we can get you 50 million uh viewers." And so, so here's what happens next year. Either you you go out, you have an even bigger show, you get bigger names because now you have a track record. Or maybe the NFL gets the message and they counterprogram you by having a bunch of patriotic flag waving country stars next year for the halftime show. They could do that. In which case, maybe you still do your event. Maybe you pivot and you turn it into like a a yearly music festival that happens around the same time as the Super Bowl. Or maybe maybe you do it in the summer, better weather. Um that'd probably be smarter.

9:18 Uh or maybe you take the win and you say, "Okay, you know, we push this iconic American brand, the NFL, back away from the brink, away from anti-American propaganda, and we push them towards being pro America." Like, it's a big either I three scenarios, all of them are huge wins. And yet you still have these whiners complaining. Actually, I I think this what actually this wasn't good. Actually, actually, this Can I Can I tell you why this actually wasn't good? Can I tell you why this thing that seems like a huge win for our side was actually bad?

9:59 I'm so tired of that. You useless dorks. Like, go do something. You go build something. You go create something. All you do is whine. These damn like commentators who only ever comment. That's all they ever do. And I say this as a commentator. I realize that I say this as a commentator, but I've seen the other side of it, you know. I've seen the other side, too. When when we go out and make a film, our last two movies, take a big swing, big risk, same could could might not pay off. It could be bad. Like, it might not work out. You might embarrass yourself.

10:31 Um, but the same thing happens. You know, you get right-wingers who who stick their fingers up and say, "Well, actually, this is bad. Actually, let me explain why a conservative pundit making a film that debuts top five at the box office is bad. But here's why it's actually a bad thing. Anyone on the right who's try who tries to do something other than just sit at a desk and give opinions has experienced this. And it's why we lose. I mean, it really is. We lose because there's no loyalty. There's no camaraderie. There's no sense of common purpose. There's no team spirit at all. And I'm not saying you can't ever criticize someone on your own side. That's not what I'm saying.

11:11 But if your criticisms are totally pointless and useless, then yeah, you should keep that to yourself. So that's why the why TPUSA should have got a bigger headliner. They should have done that instead. Why did they get Taylor Swift? Well, that you can keep to yourself because that is not a helpful critique, you But if you have something helpful to say, then fine. But that's not what happens. You get all these people, and I'm not talking about normal people. I'm talking about influencers, commentators, fellow pundits, media people, podcasts, or whatever, who uh they just immediately get to work to discount the achievement. This is what happens on on on the right. I'm telling I've seen it, I said, I've seen it on both sides.

11:58 someone on the right does something, they take a swing, it works out, and immediately you got people on our own side that the first thing they think to do is to try to explain why actually it's it explain it away. Explain it away. And then, God forbid you take a swing and it doesn't work. Well, God forbid, God forbid, you try something. God forbid you say, "You know what? I'm sick of just talking. I'm going to go try something. We're going to try this." Might not work. We're going to try it. God forbid it doesn't work. Cuz then people on your own side, they they they they will, oh, now it's blood in the water. And they're so happy it didn't work. And they will use it against you forever.

12:42 These people on your own side. It's pure envy. Pure envy. That's all it is. It's not complicated. Uh TPUSA just had a a bigger stream than any of us have ever had. Okay. TP USA, you take any conservative, pundit, media, whatever, influencer, whatever you want to call this. Well, TPUSA just ate our lunch, okay? They just they just annihilated us. Like, they they had a bigger stream that I I I can't even like I've never even sniffed that. I never come close to it. Um and and I love it. I mean, I I think it's great. I'm proud of them. Proud of them. I mean, I I did nothing. I'm just proud that they did that and uh and I'm proud that they did it, especially, you know, given what a to put it mildly, what a what a what a year, what a past year it's been. Um that they could show up and have a win like this. I just think it's I think it's extraordinary and I'm very happy for them. But you get these,

13:46 you know, a lot of these other right-wingers that are just this is lame. This is bad. This is actually really bad. No, we should have. No, no, no, no. Don't, don't actually do anything. Just Just tweet about it. That's all we're supposed to be doing. Lent begins next week. So, you've probably started thinking about what you're giving up for Lent. Chocolate, social media, the usual suspects. But, well, here's the real question. How do you plan to approach this season so you see a real lasting spiritual change? Our sponsors and friends of Ascension Press invite you to join them for the Krux Lentin Challenge, a daily program that teaches you how to surrender your life to God. Each day, participants take on four challenges inspired by the cross of Christ. Daily scripture reading, a nightly examine, one physical exercise of your choice, and one dietary fast of your choice. But don't worry, Krux isn't about extreme

14:39 penance or white knuckled self-improvement. It's about encountering your weakness honestly and discovering the God who meets you there. And you don't do this alone. Each day, Father Columba Jordan shares short video reflections in the Ascension app to encourage you, guide you when you struggle, and help you recognize where God is inviting you to surrender. For a limited time, you can join Krux with 90 days of premium access to the Ascension app for just $4.99. Visit ascensionpress.com/walsh to download the app and get the free Krux action plan to prepare for the challenge and track your progress through Lent. Offer excludes current subscribers.

15:15 Just ignore those voices is what I'm saying. And this is this is this is I think the TPUSA they started the year. This is a great way to start the year by taking a huge swing that could have backfired. It didn't. It was a big win. And um a like a real David and Goliath type of thing like taking on the NFL is amazing. So great way to start the year. I find it inspiring. I'm inspired by it. And uh and this is this is what it should be about. Like go out and do things. and any conservative that you listen to that you you that anyone that you sit you you listen to us give our opinions. I mean there's a place to give opinions. I do it every day. I like to think there's some value to it. There's some utility to it. I would hope so. It's what I do every day.

15:57 I care about it. Uh so I believe that there's a value to it. But any of us that you listen to, what you should ask yourself really as as someone in the audience is like what else are you doing? This is great, but are you trying to actually go out there and do anything? Are you trying to create anything? Are you trying to build something? Are you trying to build movements? Are you trying to create entertainment, create art, create events, like get people out there, get them involved? Are you doing any of that at all? And if there's anyone you could point to in this business who's not doing any of that, then I would say that's someone you don't need to listen to. That's someone with nothing of value to bring to the table. Period. And they're not serious.

16:41 They're not serious about it because they're not putting their skin in the game and they're not willing to risk getting embarrassed. And that that's someone we just don't need. I'm not saying they have to be uh excommunicated from, but but we don't like, you know, they they have nothing of value to bring to the table.

Questions about this episode

Who speaks in "TPUSA Pulled MILLIONS of Viewers Away From the Biggest TV Event of the Year"?

Matt Walsh (Host).

What is "TPUSA Pulled MILLIONS of Viewers Away From the Biggest TV Event of the Year" about?

TPUSA achieved remarkable success by pulling millions of viewers away from the Super Bowl with a live stream that garnered over 5 million viewers on YouTube, ranking among the largest in the platform's history. Despite this significant achievement, there has been criticism from the conservative community, prompting frustrations about the lack of support for TPUSA's bold programming decision.

What is mentioned in this Matt Walsh episode?

6 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including TPUSA, NFL, Kid Rock, Charlie Kirk. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "TPUSA Pulled MILLIONS of Viewers Away From the Biggest TV Event of the Year"?

The episode runs 17 min; the transcript is about 3,016 words in 23 timestamped sections.

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