Fresh consumer insights reveal a surprising shift in how 370 Americans are approaching Super Bowl LX-and it’s not what advertisers expect .

Read time: 7 mins

Key Takeaways

  • Home is the new stadium: 73% watch at home or friend’s houses-optimize for that reality
  • Experiences are trending up: 31% plan to increase experience spending-lean into this shift
  • Impulse happens in premium food/drink: The category with the broadest appeal and highest conversion
  • Gifting is underdeveloped: 43% don’t gift, representing massive opportunity
  • Social engagement is selective: 38% don’t post, but the 62% who do create viral moments

The $18.6 Billion Question Nobody’s Asking 

While brands are shelling out $8 million for 30-second Super Bowl ads, a critical question remains unanswered: What are consumers actually spending their money on during the big game? 

Our latest consumer study of 370 Americans conducted January 15-17, 2026-just weeks before Super Bowl LX kicks off on February 8-reveals a fascinating paradox that should make every marketer, retailer, and brand strategist pause. 

Nearly half of Super Bowl watchers (49%) make impulse purchases despite their best intentions. Yet 51% claim they stick strictly to their budgets. 

The reality? It’s far more nuanced and valuable-than either statistic suggests. 

The Home Field Advantage: 73% Choose Living Rooms Over Stadiums 

Forget the stadium experience. Our data confirms what the industry suspected: The Super Bowl is overwhelmingly a home and house party event. 

Where Americans are actually watching: 

  • 48% at home on their couch 
  • 25% at a friend’s party 
  • Only 9% at sports bars/restaurants 
  • Just 6% attending the stadium in person 
  • 11% not watching at all 

What this means for brands: The $220 million generated from stadium attendance pales in comparison to the massive at-home consumption opportunity. With 203.4 million U.S. adults planning to tune in—the overwhelming majority from living rooms—CPG brands, home entertainment companies, and food/beverage marketers should be laser-focused on the home viewing experience. 

The streaming shift is real: With streaming accounting for 43.5% of Super Bowl viewership, traditional broadcast targeting strategies need urgent recalibration. 

The Experience Economy Comes to Game Day 

Here’s where it gets interesting-and commercially valuable. 

While consumers are budget-conscious in their planning, our study uncovered a powerful directional shift: 31% of respondents plan to increase spending on experiences next Super Bowl versus only 13% planning to decrease experience spending. 

Current spending allocation: 

  • 37% not spending on the game 
  • 20% split 50/50 between merchandise and experiences 
  • 16% all-in on merchandise/products 
  • 20% leaning toward experiences (either “all on experiences” or “mostly experiences”) 

Future intentions: 

  • 52% plan to spend the same amount 
  • 31% plan to increase experience spending (16% “much more”, 15% “somewhat more”) 
  • Only 13% plan to decrease experience spending 

This aligns perfectly with broader consumer trends showing experience spending increasing year-over-year. Smart brands are already pivoting: premium sports bar packages, watch party hosting kits, and experiential product bundles are where the growth is headed. 

The Impulse Purchase Sweet Spot: Premium Food & Drinks 

Remember that 49% who make impulse purchases? Here’s what they’re actually buying: 

Top impulse categories: 

  1. Premium food and drinks (91 respondents) – By far the #1 impulse purchase 
  2. Expensive merchandise (29 respondents) 
  3. Last-minute tickets (14 respondents) 
  4. Travel/hotel bookings (7 respondents) 

        The commercial opportunity: Premium food and beverage is the only impulse category with mass-market appeal. While 26% of our sample claims to be “not spending” on the Super Bowl, the impulse food/drink data suggests budget barriers break down in the moment—especially for elevated offerings. 

        The average American spent $91.58 per person in 2025, up 22% from the prior year. Food and beverage accounts for the lion’s share, with consumers spending an average of $44 on food alone. 

        The Gift-Giving Gap: A $1 Billion Missed Opportunity? 

        Here’s a stat that should alarm merchandisers: 43% of respondents said they’re not gifting anything for the Super Bowl. 

        Yet among those who are gifting: 

        • 27% choose NFL merchandise/jerseys 
        • 14% opt for game or event tickets 
        • 12% select sports bar gift cards 

        Why this matters: With 203.4 million adults watching, even capturing 10% of the non-gifting segment represents a 20+ million person opportunity. The problem isn’t demand-it’s awareness. Most consumers don’t think of the Super Bowl as a “gifting occasion,” yet the social viewing dynamic (25% watching at friend’s parties) creates a natural host-gift moment. 

        Strategic play for retailers: Position Super Bowl watching as a gifting moment. Think: premium snack baskets, team-themed barware sets, or experiential gifts like sports bar vouchers. 

        Social Media’s Silent Majority: 38% Don’t Post About the Game 

        Despite the Super Bowl’s reputation as a social media spectacle, 38% of viewers don’t post about it at all. 

        Among those who do engage: 

        • 27% share videos watching with friends 
        • 15% post photos at the stadium 
        • 11% show off new Super Bowl merchandise 
        • 9% share travel photos from the destination 

        The insight: User-generated content is valuable, but it’s concentrated among specific personas (experience-seekers, merchandise enthusiasts, and social butterflies). The 62% who do engage represent a massive earned media opportunity-but brands must give them share-worthy moments. 

        The creative shift: Ads designed to go viral on social (like State Farm’s Arnold Schwarzenegger spot that topped USA Today’s AdMeter) deliver extended value far beyond the 30-second airtime. 

        The Budget Reality: Most Spend Under $100 (But That’s Still Billions) 

        Spending distribution tells the real story: 

        • 26% not spending 
        • 25% spending under $50 
        • 22% spending $50-$100 
        • 17% spending $100-$200 
        • 7% spending $200-$500 
        • 3% spending $500+ 

        The median Super Bowl spender is in the $50-$100 range. This might seem modest, but when scaled to 203.4 million viewers, even the “under $50” cohort generates billions. 

        The macro view: Total U.S. Super Bowl spending reached $18.6 billion in 2025, representing a near-billion-dollar increase year-over-year. This isn’t a declining market-it’s a growing one with shifting allocation patterns. 

        What Brands Should Do Right Now 

        For CPG & Food/Beverage Brands

        ✓ Lean into premium positioning: The impulse food/drink insight shows consumers will splurge for quality. “Game day bundles” with elevated ingredients outperform basic options. 

        ✓ Optimize for at-home consumption: 73% are watching at home or a friend’s house—make packaging, portability, and shareability core to your strategy. 

        ✓ Think beyond chips and dip: While snacks dominate ($670 million in Super Bowl week sales), the “premium food/drink” impulse category suggests headroom for restaurant-quality heat-and-serve options. 

        For Retailers & Merchandisers

        ✓ Create gifting moments: Only 57% are currently gifting, leaving enormous whitespace. Position team merchandise, barware, and experience packages as “thank you” gifts for hosts. 

        ✓ Capitalize on late conversion: 51% claim to stick to budgets, but 49% make impulse buys. Strategic end-cap placement and flash sales in the week before the game can capture late deciders. 

        ✓ Experience bundling wins: With 31% planning to increase experience spending, bundles that combine products with experiences (team jersey + sports bar voucher) align with where the consumer is headed. 

        For Entertainment & Streaming Platforms

        ✓ Multi-screen is the reality: With streaming hitting 43.5% of viewership, the traditional broadcast-only strategy is obsolete. Cross-platform campaigns spanning NBC, Peacock, and social are table stakes. 

        ✓ Extend the moment: 62% engage on social media, creating opportunities for pre-game, halftime, and post-game content extensions that keep audiences engaged beyond the 3.5-hour broadcast window. 

        For Market Researchers & Insights Teams

        ✓ Speed wins: This study was fielded in 3 days (January 15-17, 2026), delivering actionable insights while brands still have time to adjust Super Bowl week strategies. 

        ✓ Quality matters: With 370 completed responses and rigorous screening (duplicates and over-quota responses removed), clean data drives confident decision-making. 

        ✓ Consumer intent predicts behavior: The 31% planning to increase experience spending is a leading indicator for 2027 planning. Brands that move now capture first-mover advantage. 

        The Bottom Line 

        The Super Bowl remains advertising’s biggest stage-but the game has changed. While brands pay record prices for airtime ($8 million per 30-second spot), the real commercial opportunity lies in understanding the nuanced, contradictory, and deeply human ways consumers engage with the event. 

        The brands that win Super Bowl LX won’t just buy the biggest ad slot-they’ll align their strategies with how real consumers actually experience the game. And that’s where data like this study becomes worth far more than any 30-second spot. 

        FAQs

        Why does Super Bowl spending behavior matter for brands?

        Because understanding where consumers actually spend allows brands to align products, pricing, and timing with real purchasing moments rather than assumptions.

        What categories benefit most from Super Bowl impulse purchases?

        Premium food and beverage products see the highest impulse conversion, driven by shared viewing and in-the-moment indulgence.

        Are consumers really increasing Super Bowl experience spending?

        Yes, significantly more consumers plan to increase experience spending than decrease it, indicating a longer-term shift in how game day value is defined.

        About This Study

        Zamplia surveyed 370 U.S. consumers aged 15-75 (45% ages 15-40, 55% ages 41-75; 41% male, 59% female) from January 15-17, 2026. The study examined spending habits, viewing preferences, merchandise vs. experience allocation, social media behavior, and future purchase intentions related to Super Bowl LX. 

        Download the data tables.

        Want deeper insights like this for your brand? Fast, reliable consumer research doesn’t have to take weeks. Discover how Zamplia delivers quality data in days, not months. Take a tour or book a demo with us today.