Survey: Three Quarters of American Consumers Plan to Watch the Super Bowl

Super Bowl
(Image credit: NFL)

CINCINNATI, Ohio—When the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals face off at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif. on February 13, a new survey from NCSolutions suggests many are looking forward to watching the game, but most will be watching from home. 

The NCSolutions (NCS) consumer sentiment survey found that 46% will watch the Super Bowl at home; 24% do not plan on watching the game; 16% say they will be attending a Super Bowl party at another home; 10% indicate they are hosting a Super Bowl party and 3% will be attending a Super Bowl party at a bar or restaurant. 

But if COVID worries might be keeping more people at home, consumers seemed generally comfortable with their finances. When asked “How will your spending on your anticipated food purchases for the Super Bowl compare to last year?,” 56% said they plan on spending the same as last year; 27% plan on spending more than last year; and only 17% planned to spend less than last year. 

While 55% said they were most interested in the game itself and 26% said they were most interested in the halftime show, about 19% said the commercials were their biggest interest.

“A few of the categories that you might see advertised during the Big Game have seen percent increases in their sales over the past year. Beer sales are up 4% year-over-year, candy sales are up 8%, salty snacks 5% and soft drinks 5%,” said Lance Brothers, chief revenue officer, NCSolutions. “With nearly 20% of Americans indicating they’re actually planning to tune into the Super Bowl just for the advertising, this creates a significant opportunity for consumer packaged goods (CPG) advertisers to reach eager consumers when they are open to and welcoming ads.”  

The survey also found that food shopping for the Super Bowl this year would be done at a grocery store (68% of respondents), at a wholesale club (12%) or a grocery app delivery service (8%). Only 10% said they were not doing any shopping for the Super Bowl.

George Winslow

George Winslow is the senior content producer for TV Tech. He has written about the television, media and technology industries for nearly 30 years for such publications as Broadcasting & Cable, Multichannel News and TV Tech. Over the years, he has edited a number of magazines, including Multichannel News International and World Screen, and moderated panels at such major industry events as NAB and MIP TV. He has published two books and dozens of encyclopedia articles on such subjects as the media, New York City history and economics.