Has Interest in Football Deflated?

With Superbowl LIII just around the corner, many are focused on predicting the outcome but what about viewership? In last year’s Superbowl, nearly 8 million fewer people watched the game, down 7% compared to the prior year it was the least-watched game since 2009. This was consistent with a drop of almost 10% for the 2017 season and 8% the year prior.

In a recent nationwide poll, Level 7 asked how football watching has changed over the past few years.   Over a quarter (26%) admitted that they watch less football, with 16% specifically citing anthem protests as the reason. However, just under half (45%) are die-hard fans saying they watch as much as ever.

So what will viewership look like for the upcoming Superbowl? The 2018 NFL regular-season games showed a 5% increase, so it’s possible the Patriots and Rams may be able to pull viewership out of the slump. Regardless of who watches, it will be the most expensive airtime on TV, costing $5.3 million per 30-second commercial. Let’s hope the buyers had money left over to make some decent commercials for our entertainment. Take our poll and tell us what you predict will be the best part of the game. Please share our post with friends and family to see what they have to say.

Poll

What do you predict will be the best part of Superbowl LIII?

1. The game itself

2. The commercials

3. Maroon 5 (half-time show)

4. Duh, the food!

5. I don’t plan to watch it