NRF: More Than a Quarter of Super Bowl Watchers Are There For Commercials

January 28, 2009 By Stephen Silver

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While more Americans plan to watch this year's Super Bowl than last year's, fewer plan to purchase new electronics. And more than a quarter are there for the commercials than the game itself.

The National Retail Federation released its survey, in association with BIG research and its Retail Advertising and Marketing Association division, less than a week before the Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers kick off the Super Bowl in Tampa.

The survey found that less than 3 percent of viewers plan to buy a new TV just for the game, while 26.9 percent feel that commercials are the most important part of the big game (46.1 percent named the game itself.)

“With the economy on everyone’s mind, most Super Bowl viewers will tone down their plans this year,” RAMA's Executive Director, Mike Gatti, said as part of the release. “Retailers will be featuring promotions on everything from televisions to potato chips with the hopes of bringing in sales in the midst of a difficult environment.”

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