Survey shows Super Bowl viewing will increase

An estimated 188.9 million football fans, foodies and social butterflies plan to watch the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers battle it out for the Super Bowl 50 championship title on February 7, up from the estimated 183.7 million who planned to watch last year, according to the National Retail Federation

And, according to NRF’s Super Bowl Spending Survey conducted by Prosper Insights and Analytics, those celebrating will spend slightly more than they did for the 2015 Super Bowl; viewers and partygoers will spend an average of $82.19 on food, décor, team apparel and more, up from $77.88 last year and the highest in the survey’s history. Total spending is expected to top $15.5 billion.

“Two great teams going head-to-head and a historic game celebrating the 50th Super Bowl could make this one of the most-celebrated football games we’ve seen in some time,” said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay. “We expect retailers will be aggressive with promotions on food and decorations as well as athletic wear and electronics in the coming days as they look to entice those planning to watch the Super Bowl.”

“The excitement around the Super Bowl this year should help retailers and restaurants kick off 2016 on a positive track,” he said.

Of those watching the game, a few key highlights include:

• Nearly eight in 10 (78.6%) Americans say they view the commercials during the Super Bowl as entertainment, while 17.5 percent say they make them aware of advertisers’ brands, and 10.3 percent said they influence them to buy products from the advertisers.

“The Super Bowl has become much more than something only football fans dream about for the entirety of the season,” said Prosper’s Principal Analyst Pam Goodfellow. “The growth in celebrations this year could be a result of increased interest among individuals who use sites like Twitter and Pinterest to bring out their creative skills when it comes to DIY party projects and even making festive game-day fare. Super Bowl Sunday is now more than just a game, it’s an experience for all.”

Specific demographic highlights include:

• Three in 10 (29.9%) of 25-34 year olds will host a party, more than any other age group.