Super Bowl consumer spending down — fans staying home, watching less

Where will you be for the Super Bowl on Feb. 7 when the Kansas City Chiefs face off against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for Super Bowl 55? Most will be home.

Numerator, a data and tech company serving the market research space, launched a consumer sentiment study to understand how consumers plan to watch and spend regarding Super Bowl LV.

Overall, there will be fewer repeat watchers, fewer gatherings, and less planned spending. Numerator polled 1,500 past Super Bowl viewers, evaluating responses using psychographic data collected via MicroSurveys, according to a Numerator news release.

Shopping Days

The Saturday before the Super Bowl has historically been the #1 or #2 CPG shopping day of the year (#2 highest day of grocery sales in 2018; #1 highest day of grocery sales in 2019). The shift in consumer buying during the pandemic dropped the 2020 Saturday before the Super Bowl to #6 (largely displaced by COVID spikes in March).

Consumer sentiment surrounding the 2021 Super Bowl indicates spending and viewership will decline. Key findings include:

• 91% of past Super Bowl watchers plan to watch it again this year – however, viewing habits in the COVID era will change:
  • Nearly three-fourths (72%) plan to watch at home alone, or with members of their household, up from 53% in 2020.
  • 14% plan to watch at a gathering with members outside of their household, down from 39% last year.
  • 3% plan to watch at a bar, restaurant, or other public places, down from 6% in 2020.
• 9% of past Super Bowl watchers don’t plan to watch the game, up significantly from 1% in 2020.
• Approximately 1 in 5 “Non-Fans” (18%) say they do not plan to watch.
• Watching the game and watching commercials are the leading reasons consumers tune in at 44% and 43% respectively.
  •  49% of Avid Fans cite watching the game as a driver, versus 41% of Non-Fans
  • 43% of Avid Fans cite watching commercials as a driver, versus 44% of Non-Fans
• 91% of Super Bowl watchers plan to purchase food or drink for the game.
  • Just 15% of respondents indicate they plan to spend more on food or drink for the game.
  • However, 38% will spend less on food and drinks, with 29% planning to reduce spending, and 9% not making any purchases for this year’s game.
  • 28% plan to order their Super Bowl groceries online, with 18% planning to order for pickup (e.g., Click & Collect), and 13% for delivery.
  • 17% plan to order from a restaurant for takeout or delivery

Super Bowl LV: Reasons for Watching

Methodology Note: Numerator panelists self-identify what type of sports fan they are: Avid, Committed, Average, Casual, or Non-Fans. For this study, “Avid Fans” include both Avid and Committed, and “Average Fans” include Average and Casual. 

Source: Numerator