Talk Super Bowl figures and you’re talking big numbers, from TV viewership to advertising spend and what fans splurge on party food and snacks.
Data from Nielsen clocked a higher level of viewership than previously predicted, with almost half being women. Thanks in part to the attendance of Tayor Swift (to see boyfriend Travis Kelce play for the Kansas City Chiefs), 58.8 million women tuned in – 9% more than last year – while the number of girls aged between 12-17 increased by 11%.
Despite the cost-of-living crisis, the total Super Bowl-related consumer spend is believed to be $17.3bn, an increase of nearly $1bn over 2023 and $9bn since 2007, according to Statista figures.
The market researcher estimated Americans shelled out around $85 each on purchases related to Gameday, mainly food and beverages, but also on wagers. In 2023, more than $11m was won on bets at casinos in the state of Nevada alone.
Snac International – the trade association for the snack industry representing over 400 companies worldwide – said Americans purchased 118 million pounds of savory snacks, enough to fill Allegiant Stadium 16 times. Notably, the most significant spikes were corn chips, tortilla chips, pretzels and potato chips.
“The week before the Super Bowl is the most important week for the snack food industry,” said Christine Cochran, president and CEO of Snac.
“Every brand wants to be the go-to Super Bowl snack, just like every fan wants their team to win the Super Bowl.”
Super Bowl week ranks #1 in terms of total snack sales for the entire year. Savory snacks rang up $796m in sales in 2023, a 29% increase from the year before, according to data from Circana.
Snack numbers for Super Bowl Week 2023
Sunday funday
The time-honored tradition of Super Bowl parties saw 66% of Americans dip into their wallets for pizza (52%), alcoholic beverages (45%), fruits and veggies (37%) and premade appetizers (37%). Chips and dips were still the favorite, with 73% serving these up, according to retail analytics firm 84.51°’s January Consumer Digest.
The National Chicken Council expected to sell around 1.45bn chicken wings over the weekend, again driven in part by Taylor Swift’s endorsement.
Strawberry sales saw the biggest increase in the fresh grocery category on Gopuff, spiking by a whopping 1,320% on the Sunday. Hinting at team allegiance, red seedless grapes and grape tomatoes also pulled in impressive figures, both with 700%+ increases in sales over the average Sunday. Gopuff also saw a 142% increase in sales for Fool’s Gold Edible Glitter; sales of ice increase by 113%; beer jump by 102%; and mixers & spirits up by nearly 90%.
The Instant Commerce platform noted Tostitos branded products were up 332% compared to a typical Sunday, while the top fresh grocery items included limes and avos for the guac. Sales of hot sauce alone jumped 154%, possibly why searches for Tums were up by 300% during the game.
And while heartburn remedies reigned supreme in San Francisco, the delivery app – which covered more than 3.2 million football fields in distance to bring customers what they needed – saw orders for hangover remedies increase in Kansas City.
Beyond their bellies, American also dished out many $$$ on ticket sales, hotel stays, merch, decorations and much more.
Smiling all the way to the bank
Every year, the National Football League (NFL) makes billions from the Super Bowl.
While it shies away from revealing figures from partnerships, consulting firm IEG estimated they were worth $1.8bn this year.
Standard tickets range between $950 to $6,500, which means they bring in $66.5m at the lowest possible range. That doesn’t include the private boxes, which each command five figures.
And then there is the $3bn from Fox, CBS or NBC for the rights to broadcast the league’s game on a rotating basis. Fox had the rights this year. In 2021, the NFL signed an 11-year media rights deal for about $110bn with CBS, NBC, Fox ESPN, Amazon, according to the New York Times.
These eye-watering expenses are made back tenfold in Super Bowl advertising. The annual NFL championship game is one of the biggest sports events in the world and the 2024 edition was watched by over 123 million viewers in the US, making it the most watched Super Bowl in history. It’s also broadcast to 185 countries in seven languages and attracts an additional 800 million listeners and viewers around the world.
It’s little wonder that brands are prepared to shell out to be part of it.
Despite a cool $5.6m for a 30-second slot, Reuters reported CBS sold out all its Super Bowl LV advertising, generating around $545m in 2021. This year, certain slots went as high as $7m.
According to Gopuff's Brand Bowl report, while many commercials during the Big Game won the hearts and minds of America, Lindor’s ‘Life is a Ball’ saw a massive 231% increase in units sold in the hour after it aired.
“Spots during the Big Game are among the most expensive ads available – but it’s difficult to leverage those commercials to drive immediate sales or measure the immediate impact of that huge investment,” said Daniel Folkman, Gopuff’s SVP of Business.
“That’s where Gopuff comes in. With direct access to data and the ability to deliver products to customers instantly, Gopuff is uniquely able to leverage sales data to determine the efficacy of ads in real-time and draw distinctive insights into consumer behavior and consumption habits.”
Tied for second place were Starry and Nerds’ star-studded commercials (both saw an 186% increase), while Oreos experienced a 40% increase.
On Monday (February 12), Dunkin’ released a four-item line of merch to accompany the extended four-and-a-half minute version of its DunKings Super Bowl ad, starring Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lopez, Matt Damon and Tom Brady. According to the coffee and donut chain, it took just 19 minutes to sell out of the merch after the ad went live, “making it the fastest we’ve ever sold out of a collection on ShopDunkin.”
The line includes a track jacket and pants – which are donned by DunKings band members Affleck, Damon and Brady – along with a bucket hat and drink tumblers in Dunkin’ orange and pink. The chain also launched a limited time DunKings menu, including an iced coffee that Affleck is seen ordering – and Munchkins skewers, which had cameo roles – in the commercial.
Money for nothing
And talking celebs, while NFL players pull in an average salary of $2.7m each year, the halftime performers aren’t paid to perform at the Super Bowl.
Despite this, it remains a highly coveted spot and has seen the likes of Katy Perry, Mary J. Blige, Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar and Eminem, among a chorus of others. Performing on one of the world’s most televised stages can convert into real financial gain from increased music sales. Justin Timberlake 2018 performance saw his music sales rise by 534% the same day, while sales of Lady Gaga’s digital catalog spiked 1,000% following her 2017 routine.
Usher took to the stage this year – joined by guests Alicia Keys, Lil Jon, Ludacris and HER – using the opportunity to promote his new album, Coming Home, released two days before the game.
The NFL, however, does cover the costs of the production, reportedly paying $13m for the Jennifer Lopez and Shakira performance in 2020.
What is the Super Bowl?
The Super Bowl is the final game of the NFL season with the winners of the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC) competing against each other. The big game determines the champion of the National Football League.
The first Super Bowl was played in 1967, which saw the NFL’s Green Bay Packers defeat the then-AFC’s Kansas City Chiefs, with a score of 35 to 10.
Sadly, while many were celebrating Kansas City Chiefs’ 25-22 victory this year, one person was killed and 21 wounded, including 9 children, in a shooting in Missouri. Three suspects have been arrested.