72% of Fans Disappointed with Super Bowl XLVIII

Tonight’s Super Bowl blowout left fans walking away from the game disappointed, but given the other entertainment value around the game (commercials, halftime show, etc.), how much does that really matter? According to a January survey by Burson-Marsteller, the anti-climactic game left more than just a few fans disappointed.

In fact:

52% of respondents say the primary reason they tune in is to watch the game, compared to 23% who are focused on the commercials

72% percent said they would prefer a great game with boring commercials over a boring game with great commercials

AN INTERESTING DYNAMIC:

People say their favorite part of the Super Bowl is watching the game. Their social media activity says otherwise. They are more likely to post about a commercial they love than a big play.

WHAT IS THEIR PERCEPTION OF THIS YEAR’S GAME?

· 56% believe the Super Bowl is better than in past years, as the focus has shifted from the game to entertaining ads and a halftime show

· 51% of all respondents think it is a good thing that there is more media coverage of the events surrounding the Super Bowl than in years past

· 52% of respondents say the primary reason they tune in is to watch the game, compared to 23% who are focused on the commercials.

HOW DO THEY FEEL ABOUT COMMERCIALS?

· 91% of survey respondents said they are more excited to view ads that use humor than ones designed to elicit an emotional response. They’re slightly more likely (55%) to post on social media about a commercial as they are a big play during the game (51%)

· 72% percent said they would prefer a great game with boring commercials over a boring game with great commercials

WHO IS WATCHING THE SUPER BOWL?

· 55% of respondents who said they plan to watch the Super Bowl consider themselves an avid NFL fan

· 92% percent watch most Super Bowl games, regardless of if their team is playing

· 55% of respondents have attended an NFL game. Forty-three percent have attended five or more games in-person

WHAT ARE THEY LOOKING FOR WHEN THEY TUNE IN?

· 55% of respondents say the actual game is their favorite part of the Super Bowl, while only eight percent favor the halftime show

· 45% say they love watching the halftime show and wouldn’t miss it, while twenty-six percent rarely watch it

WHAT WILL THEY BE DOING ON SOCIAL MEDIA?

· 41% of respondents completely or somewhat agree that social media makes them feel like they’re part of the game

· 74% of those 18-35 years old are somewhat or very responsive to Super Bowl ads with additional content via social media

“HOMING IN” ON THE SUPER BOWL

· 65% of respondents say they are staying home to watch the Super Bowl. This reinforces the importance of the game and the use of social media to connect with friends and family during the game

· 22% of respondents said they would support designating Sunday and the following Monday as a national holiday

· If the game were moved to a Monday or Tuesday because of weather, only 4% say they would not watch and only 7% who planned to host a viewing party would cancel their party

ABOUT Burson-Marsteller

Burson-Marsteller, established in 1953, is a leading global public relations and communications firm. It provides clients with strategic thinking and program execution across a full range of public relations, public affairs, reputation and crisis management, advertising and digital strategies. The firm’s seamless worldwide network consists of 74 offices and 85 affiliate offices, together operating in 110 countries across six continents. Burson-Marsteller is a unit of WPP, the world’s leading communications services network. Fan Experience is a specialty group within Burson-Marsteller’s U.S. Consumer and Brand Marketing Practice dedicated to helping brands build deeper relationships with key client audiences by engaging fans through sports influenced communications, marketing and events. For more information, please visit bm.com.