With Omicron Declining, Super Bowl Viewers Return to Gatherings, But More ‘Cutting Cord’; Nearly Half of Americans Favor Sports Gambling, 22 Percent Will Bet on Super Bowl  

South Orange, NJ, February 10, 2022 – For this year’s Super Bowl, 36 percent of those watching say they will do so with people that include individuals outside of their immediate families. Apparently, Super Bowl parties are back. The number of those who say they will gather with others is up 11 points from 25 percent just a year ago. This significant increase in those who say they will gather with others to watch the Big Game is good news for bars, caterers and other related services, and perhaps reflects news in recent days of a loosening of COVID-19 rules and restrictions throughout the country.

“The impact of COVID-19 on the economy has been unprecedented and the multi-billion dollar sports industry and its ancillary business have not been immune,” said Seton Hall Marketing Professor and Poll Methodologist Daniel Ladik. “Everyone from parking attendants at the games to the local deli preparing cheese platters and six foot sandwiches for a Super Bowl party has been impacted. Perhaps these numbers are a harbinger of a step toward normalcy.”

These were the findings of a Seton Hall Sports Poll conducted February 4-7 across the United States using a national representative sample weighted according to gender, age, ethnicity, education, income and geography based on U.S. Census Bureau figures. The Poll featured 1,520 adult respondents with a margin of error of +/- 3.2 percent. Super Bowl viewing questions were asked only of those (N=959) who said they would be watching the game.

How Will They Watch? A Further Shift to Cord Cutting

Asked about viewing habits for the Super Bowl, 72 percent of the general population will be watching on TV only, while 14 percent will be watching on a “Non-TV device” (laptop, smartphone, tablet). At the same time, 14 percent indicated that they will be “second screen” viewing, using both TV and a Non-TV device.

A year ago, TV only viewing was 79 percent for the general population and Non-TV device was just 7 percent. The number who will be using both, however, remained constant at 14 percent.

Among sports fans, the migration numbers were even more glaring with 70 percent saying they would watch on TV only (versus 80 percent last year). Among self-described “avid fans,” just 56 percent said only TV this year (versus 70 percent last year).

Following the same trend, this year the number of sports fans who said they would be watching on a Non-TV device rose to 13 percent (8 percent last year) while avid fans registered at 20 percent (11 percent last year).

“The migration from traditional television viewing is continuing,” said Professor Ladik. “Although broadcasters need to take heed, I would suggest this shift represents a tremendous opportunity for advertisers who may not have the financial resources to underwrite a traditional Super Bowl commercial. The numbers say there will be a lot of eyeballs online and on social media during the game.”

Social Media

As for engagement with social media during the game, 34 percent of the general population said they would take part (52 percent said no) while 39 percent of sports fans said they would engage (vs. 47 percent saying no), and 54 percent of avid fans said they would interact with social media during the game (33 percent said they will not).

What Part of the Super Bowl Are You Most Looking Forward To?

Asked which facet of the Super Bowl presentation they most looked forward to, only 47 percent of the general population who said they would be watching said the game itself. Halftime show came in second with 24 percent and commercials followed with 23 percent.  Among sports fans the number was 53-22-20 percent (game, halftime, commercials) and among avid fans, 60-22-14 percent.

Commercials

More than 70 percent of all respondents said they pay more attention to Super Bowl commercials, i.e., 71 percent of the general population, 73 percent of sports fans and 75 percent of avid fans. Asked if they were likely to buy a product advertised or watch a program promoted during the game, 27 percent of the general population said yes, while 30 percent of sports fans and 41 percent of avid fans agreed. Nearly half of the viewers said they are likely to discuss the best and worst commercials on social media, i.e., 44 percent of the general population, 48 percent of sports fans and 51 percent of avid fans.

Sports Betting Going Mainstream?

Respondents were also asked whether they will be placing a bet or a wager on the Super Bowl.  Forty-seven percent of avid fans, 22 percent of sports fans and 22 percent of the general population who will be watching the game said yes (44 percent of sports fans, 62 percent of sports fans and 67 percent of the general population said no).

Office Pool?

Asked if they plan to participate in a friend/family member’s informal Super Bowl betting pool (i.e., boxes or squares), 47 percent of avid fans said yes (43 percent no), 33 percent of sports fans said yes (57 percent no) and 28 percent of the general population said yes (with 61 percent saying no).

Should Sports Betting Be Legal?

Asked if sports betting should be legal, 47 percent of the general population (the full sample, N=1520, not just Super Bowl viewers) said yes, with 27 percent saying no. Among sports fans, that number increased to 59 percent in favor (25 percent no), while among avid sports fans the number rose to 72 percent in favor with just 19 percent opposed.

When asked by the Seton Hall Sports Poll in October 2019 whether sports gambling should be legal in all states, only 25 percent of the general population said yes, with 16 percent saying it should not be legalized, and 55 percent saying it should be on a state-by-state basis.

In November 2018, 40 percent of the general population approved of the Supreme Court ruling that sports betting could be declared legal on a state-by-state basis; 16 percent disapproved.

Sports Betting Leads to Game Fixing?
Asked if legalized betting leads to cheating or fixing of games, 38 percent of the general population, 41 percent of sports fans and 41 percent of avid fans said yes (with 29 percent, 35 percent and 36 percent respectively, saying no).

“Factor out those who don’t know or hold no opinion and the majority of Americans – and an even greater number of sports fans believe that sports betting will lead to cheating and fixed games,” said Charles Grantham, Director of the Center for Sport Management within Seton Hall’s Stillman School of Business, which sponsors the Poll. “The leagues and team owners, who are benefiting financially from these sports betting arrangements, have a duty to ensure the integrity of the games. Even the suspicion of game fixing or cheating undercuts that integrity.”

Better Odds on Casino Games?
Respondents were asked if they thought they had a better chance at winning in sports betting than at a casino game. Only twenty-nine percent of the general population said yes (34 percent no), 39 percent of sports fans said yes (36 percent no) and 54 percent of avid fans said yes (29 percent no).

Compulsive Gambling?
Is legalized sports betting creating a compulsive gambling problem in this country? Forty-one percent of the general population agreed (18 percent disagreed, 41 percent neither agreed nor disagreed); 45 percent of sports fans agreed (vs. 19 percent disagreeing and 35 percent neither agreeing nor disagreeing) and 52 percent of avid sports fans agreed (with 19 percent disagreeing and 29 percent neither agreeing nor disagreeing).

More Likely to Gamble with Legal Sports Betting?
Asked if they were more likely to gamble now that sports betting is legal, 23 percent of the general population, 35 percent of sports fans and 49 percent of avid fans agreed (vs. 48-38-24 percent disagreeing, and 29-26-8 percent neither agreeing nor disagreeing).

Gamble on Individual Plays?
Asked about the possibility of wagering being extended to the outcome of individual plays (e.g., field goals in the NFL, at bats in MLB or foul shots in the NBA), 26 percent of the general population agreed with the notion vs. 50 percent who disagreed. Among sports fans, however, the number who agreed with betting on the outcome of individual plays rose to 37 percent (vs. 39 percent who disagreed) with an even greater number for avid fans in favor: 55 percent (vs. 31 percent who disagreed).

Have You Ever Placed a Bet on a Sporting Event?

Twenty-eight percent of the general population say they have bet on a sporting event with 41 percent of sports fans and 56 percent of avid fans also indicating that they have done so. Those who say they have not done so comprise 65 percent of the general population and 54 and 40 percent of sports fans and avid sports fans respectively.

Would Placing a Bet Make You Watch?

Placing a bet would make it more likely that one would watch a televised broadcast of the event, according to 49 percent of the general population, 60 percent of sports fans and 66 percent of avid fans (35-29-26 percent said not more likely).

How Do You Bet?
Of those who said they have placed a bet in the past on a sporting event, 31 percent of the general population did it online or with an App 42 percent in person, and 13 percent said both.

 

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Questions with charted breakdowns below; an online version of this release may be found at http://blogs.shu.edu/sportspoll/

 

ABOUT THE POLL

The Seton Hall Sports Poll, conducted regularly since 2006, is performed by the Sharkey Institute within the Stillman School of Business. This poll was conducted online by YouGov Plc. using a national representative sample weighted according to gender, age, ethnicity, education, income and geography, based on U.S. Census Bureau figures. Respondents were selected from YouGov’s opt-in panel to be representative of all U.S residents. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls. The Seton Hall Sports Poll has been chosen for inclusion in iPoll by Cornell’s Roper Center for Public Opinion Research and its findings have been published everywhere from USA Today, ESPN, The New York Times, Washington Post, AP, and Reuters to CNBC, NPR, Yahoo Finance, Fox News and many points in between.

Media:  Michael Ricciardelli, Associate Director of Media Relations, Seton Hall University
michael.ricciardelli@shu.edu, 908-447-3034; Marty Appel, AppelPR@gmail.com

 

 

Feb 2022 Super Bowl SHSP Questions and Charted Responses

 

This SHSP was conducted February 4th through February 7th and includes responses from 1,520 US adults with a margin of error of 3.2%. The sample mirrors the US Census percentages on age, gender, income, education, ethnicity, and region.

 

Q1. Which, if any, of the following statements best describes you?

 

  • I am an avid sports fan         17%
  • I am a sports fan                   38%
  • I am not a sports fan             44%

 

The 2022 NFL Super Bowl will be played on February 13th

 

Q5. On which devices, if at all, will you be watching the 2022 Super Bowl this year? Please select the option that best applies.

 

N=1,520

 

General

Population

Sports

Fan

Non Fan Avid

Fan

Casual

Fan

TV only 46% 61% 28% 54% 64%
Non-TV device(s) only (e.g., smartphone, laptop, tablet, etc.) 8% 11% 4% 20% 7%
Both TV and non-TV device(s) 9% 15% 1% 22% 12%
Not applicable – I will not be watching the Super Bowl 37% 13% 67% 4% 17%

 

Q5. (Super Bowl watchers only N=959) On which devices, if at all, will you be watching the 2022 Super Bowl this year? Please select the option that best applies.

 

N=959

 

General

Population

Sports

Fan

Non Fan Avid

Fan

Casual

Fan

TV only 72% 70% 85% 56% 77%
Non-TV device(s) only (e.g., smartphone, laptop, tablet, etc.) 14% 13% 12% 20% 9%
Both TV and non-TV device(s) 14% 17% 3% 24% 14%

Q7*. On which devices, if at all, will you be watching the 2021 Super Bowl this year? Please select the option that best applies.

N=1,522

 

General

Population

Sports

Fan

Non Fan Avid

Fan

Casual

Fan

TV only 46% 63% 22% 64% 63%
Non-TV device(s) only (e.g., smartphone, laptop, tablet, etc.) 4% 7% 2% 10% 5%
Both TV and non-TV device(s) 8% 10% 3% 17% 7%
Not applicable – I will not be watching the Super Bowl 42% 20% 73% 9% 25%

*Data from the January 2021 Seton Hall Sports Poll

 

 

Q7.* (Super Bowl watchers only N=883) On which devices, if at all, will you be watching the 2021 Super Bowl this year? Please select the option that best applies.

 

N=883

 

General

Population

Sports

Fan

Non Fan Avid

Fan

Casual

Fan

TV only 79% 80% 74% 70% 86%
Non-TV device(s) only (e.g., smartphone, laptop, tablet, etc.) 7% 8% 6% 11% 6%
Both TV and non-TV device(s) 14% 12% 20% 19% 8%

*Data from the January 2021 Seton Hall Sports Poll

 

Q6. In addition to watching the Super Bowl, are you likely to follow and/or engage on social media during the event?

N=959

 

General

Population

Sports

Fan

Non Fan Avid

Fan

Casual

Fan

Yes 34% 39% 17% 54% 30%
No 52% 47% 67% 33% 55%
Don’t know/No opinion 14% 14% 16% 13% 15%

 

Q7. Which part of the Super Bowl broadcast do you look forward to the most, the game, the halftime show or the commercials?

N=959

 

General

Population

Sports

Fan

Non Fan Avid

Fan

Casual

Fan

Game 47% 53% 25% 60% 50%
Halftime show 24% 22% 32% 22% 21%
Commercials 23% 20% 32% 14% 23%
Don’t know/No opinion 6% 5% 11% 4% 6%

 

Q8. Will you be gathering with other people that live outside of your home (i.e., with people that are not roommates/cohabitants, etc.,) to watch the upcoming Super Bowl?

N=959

 

General

Population

Sports

Fan

Non Fan Avid

Fan

Casual

Fan

Yes, I will 36% 39% 27% 52% 32%
No, I will not 47% 45% 53% 32% 52%
Don’t know/No opinion 17% 16% 20% 16% 16%

 

Q8* Will you be gathering with other people that live outside of your home (i.e., with people that are not roommates/cohabitants, etc.,) to watch the upcoming Super Bowl?

N=885

 

General

Population

Sports

Fan

Non Fan Avid

Fan

Casual

Fan

Yes, I will 25% 27% 15% 40% 20%
No, I will not 64% 62% 73% 52% 68%
Don’t know/No opinion 11% 11% 12% 8% 12%

*Data from the January 2021 Seton Hall Sports Poll

 

Thinking about the upcoming 2022 Super Bowl, to what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

 

Q9a. I pay more attention to the commercials during the Super Bowl compared to commercials on other TV shows

N=959

 

General

Population

Sports

Fan

Non Fan Avid

Fan

Casual

Fan

Agree 71% 73% 65% 76% 71%
Neither agree nor disagree 21% 19% 28% 20% 19%
Disagree 8% 8% 7% 4% 10%

 

Q9b. Compared to non-Super Bowl commercials, I am more likely to buy a product advertised or watch a program promoted during the Super Bowl since I watched a more entertaining commercial.

N=959

 

General

Population

Sports

Fan

Non Fan Avid

Fan

Casual

Fan

Agree 27% 31% 18% 41% 25%
Neither agree nor disagree 42% 40% 46% 38% 42%
Disagree 31% 29% 36% 21% 33%

 

Q9c. I am likely to discuss and/or comment on the best and worst Super Bowl commercials on social media.

N=959

 

General

Population

Sports

Fan

Non Fan Avid

Fan

Casual

Fan

Agree 44% 48% 28% 51% 46%
Neither agree nor disagree 28% 26% 34% 26% 26%
Disagree 28% 26% 38% 23% 27%

 

 

Now let’s talk about sports betting…

It’s been more than three years since the Supreme Court removed the Federal ban on sports betting, allowing states to legalize it if they wish. At present, 29 states and the District of Columbia allow sports betting (either online, in person, or both).

 

Q11a. In your opinion, should sports betting be legal?

 

N=1,520

 

General

Population

Sports

Fan

Non Fan Avid

Fan

Casual

Fan

Yes 47% 59% 33% 72% 53%
No 27% 25% 28% 19% 28%
Don’t know/No opinion 26% 16% 39% 9% 19%

 

Q11b. Do you believe legal betting on sports events leads to cheating or fixing games?

 

N=1,520

 

General

Population

Sports

Fan

Non Fan Avid

Fan

Casual

Fan

Yes 38% 41% 33% 41% 42%
No 29% 35% 21% 36% 34%
Don’t know/No opinion 33% 24% 46% 23% 24%

 

 

Q11c. Do you believe you have a better chance of winning in sports betting than you do at casino games?

N=1,520

 

General

Population

Sports

Fan

Non Fan Avid

Fan

Casual

Fan

Yes 29% 39% 17% 54% 32%
No 34% 36% 31% 29% 40%
Don’t know/No opinion 37% 25% 52% 17% 28%

 

Q12a. How much do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Legalized sports gambling is creating a compulsive gambling problem in this country.

 

N=1,520

 

General

Population

Sports

Fan

Non Fan Avid

Fan

Casual

Fan

Agree 41% 46% 36% 52% 43%
Neither agree nor disagree 41% 35% 47% 29% 38%
Disagree 18% 19% 17% 19% 19%

 

Q12b. How much do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Because sports betting is legal, I am more inclined to place a sports bet.

 

N=1,520

 

General

Population

Sports

Fan

Non Fan Avid

Fan

Casual

Fan

Agree 23% 36% 8% 49% 30%
Neither agree nor disagree 29% 26% 33% 27% 25%
Disagree 48% 38% 59% 24% 45%

 

Q12c. How much do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Should legalized sports betting be extended to allow bettors to wager on the outcome of individual plays (e.g., field goals in NFL, at bats in MLB, foul shots in NBA, etc.).

 

N=1,520

 

General

Population

Sports

Fan

Non Fan Avid

Fan

Casual

Fan

Agree 26% 37% 13% 55% 29%
Neither agree nor disagree 50% 39% 64% 31% 42%
Disagree 24% 24% 23% 14% 29%

 

Q13a. Have you ever placed a bet on a sporting event?

 

N=1,520

 

General

Population

Sports

Fan

Non Fan Avid

Fan

Casual

Fan

Yes 28% 41% 11% 56% 34%
No 65% 54% 78% 40% 61%
Don’t know/No opinion 7% 5% 11% 4% 5%

 

Q13c. If you placed a bet on a sporting event would it make you more likely to watch the broadcast of that event?

 

N=1,520

 

General

Population

Sports

Fan

Non Fan Avid

Fan

Casual

Fan

Yes 49% 60% 34% 66% 58%
No 35% 29% 42% 26% 30%
Don’t know/No opinion 16% 11% 24% 8% 12%

 

 

Q14. Did you place sports wager(s)/bet(s) with an online/app based company, in person (i.e., at a casino, race track, or sports venue) or both online and in person? Please select the option that best applies for any wagers or bets that you have made at the time of taking this survey.

 

N=405

 

General

Population

Sports

Fan

Non Fan Avid

Fan

Casual

Fan

With an online/app… only 31% 35% 10% 50% 24%
In person only 42% 39% 58% 31% 45%
Both 13% 14% 8% 15% 14%
Other (write in) 7% 6% 13% 1% 9%
Prefer not to say 7% 6% 11% 3% 8%

 

Q15. Thinking about your plans for the Super Bowl… Will you be participating in a friend/family member’s informal Super Bowl betting pool (i.e., boxes or squares)

 

N=959

 

General

Population

Sports

Fan

Non Fan Avid

Fan

Casual

Fan

Yes, I will 28% 33% 14% 47% 26%
No, I will not 61% 57% 74% 43% 64%
Don’t know/No opinion 11% 10% 12% 10% 10%

 

Q16. Thinking about your plans for the Super Bowl… Will you be placing a bet or wager (e.g., betting on the outcome of the game, on the winning team, etc.)

N=959

 

General

Population

Sports

Fan

Non Fan Avid

Fan

Casual

Fan

Yes, I will 22% 28% 4% 47% 18%
No, I will not 67% 62% 85% 44% 71%
Don’t know/No opinion 11% 10% 11% 9% 11%

 

 

 

 

 

ABOUT SETON HALL UNIVERSITY

One of the country’s leading Catholic universities, Seton Hall has been showing the world what great minds can do since 1856. Home to nearly 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students and offering more than 90 rigorous academic programs, Seton Hall’s academic excellence has been singled out for distinction by The Princeton Review, U.S. News & World Report and Bloomberg Businessweek.

Seton Hall embraces students of all religions and prepares them to be exemplary servant leaders and global citizens. In recent years, the University has achieved extraordinary success. Since 2009, it has seen record-breaking undergraduate enrollment growth and an impressive 110-point increase in the average SAT scores of incoming freshmen. In the past decade, Seton Hall students and alumni have received more than 30 Fulbright Scholarships as well as other prestigious academic honors, including Boren Awards, Pickering Fellowships, Udall Scholarships and a Rhodes Scholarship. The University is also proud to be among the most diverse national Catholic universities in the country.

During the past five years, the University has invested more than $165 million in new campus buildings and renovations. And in 2015, Seton Hall launched a School of Medicine as well as a College of Communication and the Arts. The University’s beautiful main campus in suburban South Orange, N.J. is only 14 miles from New York City — offering students a wealth of employment, internship, cultural and entertainment opportunities. Seton Hall’s nationally recognized School of Law is located prominently in downtown Newark. The University’s Interprofessional Health Sciences (IHS) campus in Clifton and Nutley, N.J. opened in the summer of 2018. The IHS campus houses the University’s College of Nursing, School of Health and Medical Sciences and the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall University.

For more information, visit www.shu.edu