The document discusses viewership of the Super Bowl. It notes that 37% of US adults watch the Super Bowl, including 85% of frequent NFL viewers and 62% of occasional NFL viewers. Even 13% of non-NFL viewers watch the Super Bowl for the commercials. The majority (84%) of Super Bowl viewers watch at home. Super Bowl viewers are more likely than non-viewers to have large screen TVs and drink beer and Irish whiskey. They are also more attentive to product placements during broadcasts compared to non-viewers. Super Bowl viewers tend to be active mobile phone users who engage in activities like streaming video.

1. Super Bowl® Viewers
January 7, 2009
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2. Super Bowl Viewers
Now that the NFL regular season has come to a close, all focus is on figuring out which
two teams will battle it out in Miami at Super Bowl® XLIV to be held on February 7th. With
37% of the U.S. adult population tuning in, the Super Bowl provides advertisers with a
television audience rivaled by no other single broadcast program or event. That explains
why companies continually pay the hosting broadcast network rates of $3 million and up for
a single 30 second spot. Those kinds of investments draw Americans to tune into the
Super Bowl not just for the game, but to see the much talked about ads in which
companies often unveil new products and ad campaigns.
The following slides leverage data from Experian Simmons’ National Consumer Study and
New Media Study to provide insights into the behaviors and attitudes of Super Bowl
viewers.
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www.ExperianSimmons.com | 212.471.2850

3. Who’s Watching and Where?
It’s no surprise that football fans watch the Super Bowl, but even Americans who don’t watch
professional football watch the final game. Nearly 85% of frequent NFL regular season
viewers tune into the Super Bowl as do almost 62% of occasional viewers. Furthermore,
13% of non-NFL viewers ultimately say they watch the Super Bowl…if only for the ads. Five
out of every six Super Bowl viewers (84%) will watch the game in their own home.
72%
50%
11% 13% 11% 2%
Watched Super Bowl at home Watched Super Bowl outside my
home
Watch NFL regular season frequently Watch NFL regular season occasionally
Do not watch NFL regular season
© Experian Information Solutions, Inc. 2009. All rights reserved.
www.ExperianSimmons.com | 212.471.2850

4. Check Out the TV!
Everyone knows the game experience is really all about the set. And a majority of at-home
Super Bowl viewers will be getting the full effect this year. Fully 58% of viewers report having
at least one LCD, plasma or big screen projection TV on which they could watch the Super
Bowl compared with only 48% of non-viewers. Non-viewers are more likely to be traditional
tube-only households with 45% saying that a traditional set is the only type of TV they own;
only 38% of game viewers say they have nothing but a traditional tube set.
58%
48% 45%
38%
Have LCD, plasma or big Have only traditional tube
screen
Watched Super Bowl at home Didn't watch Super Bowl at all
© Experian Information Solutions, Inc. 2009. All rights reserved.
www.ExperianSimmons.com | 212.471.2850

5. Refreshments on Hand
Super Bowl viewers of legal drinking age are 50% more likely than non-viewers to drink
beer. Certainly beer companies have recognized the natural link between football and brew,
but other beverages pair as well, if not better, with football: Super Bowl viewers age 21 and
older are 147% more likely than non-viewers to drink Irish Whiskey. On the non-alcoholic
beverage side, all adult viewers are 35% more likely to drink thirst quenchers like Gatorade.
247
233
226
Index: viewers vs.
198 193
non-viewers
135 126 121 121
109
Irish Canadian Microbrew Bourbon Blended Thirst Diet Non- Diet Cola Energy Regular
Whiskey Whiskey Beer Whiskey/ Quenchers cola Soda Drinks Non-cola
Rye Soda
Base for blue columns: Adults 21+; Base for red columns: Adults 18+
© Experian Information Solutions, Inc. 2009. All rights reserved.
www.ExperianSimmons.com | 212.471.2850

6. Product Placement
Football stadiums and broadcast games are full of product placement and sponsors and
Super Bowl viewers are likely to pick up on those brands. Using Experian Simmons TV
Product Placement segmentation tool, we see that Super Bowl viewers are more likely than
non-viewers to be “Noticers” who pay attention to branded goods placed within TV shows
and less likely to be either “Indifferents” who are neutral, or “Rejecters” who actually have a
negative reaction when seeing product placement.
36%
30% 29%
25%
23% 22%
17%
17%
Noticers Emulators Indifferents Rejecters
Watch Super Bowl Non-Viewers
© Experian Information Solutions, Inc. 2009. All rights reserved.
www.ExperianSimmons.com | 212.471.2850

7. “Check out this play on my phone!”
Super Bowl viewers are well connected. The Experian Simmons Spring 2009 New Media
Study finds that while Super Bowl viewers are no more or less likely to own a wireless
phone, they are 25% more likely than non-viewers to personally use two or more devices.
What’s more, they are active phone users and a prime audience for features like streaming
mobile video...of sports, of course.
Activities done on mobile phone
120 in last 30 days
Index: viewers vs.
non-viewers
115
111
110 110 110
Watched Sent/Received Shopped Download Watched Downloaded
streaming Business email application downloaded ringtones
video video
Base: Adult mobile phone users who spent 1 hour online in the past week doing something other than email
© Experian Information Solutions, Inc. 2009. All rights reserved.
www.ExperianSimmons.com | 212.471.2850

8. Thank You!
For more information, please email SimmonsMarketing@experian.com
or call 212.749.3162
© Experian Information Solutions, Inc. 2009. All rights reserved. Experian and the marks used herein are service marks or registered trademarks of Experian Information Solutions, Inc.
Other product and company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. No part of this copyrighted work may be reproduced, modified,
or distributed in any form or manner without the prior written permission of Experian Information Solutions, Inc.