Every February, the Big Game marks a significant cultural moment in the U.S. Many Americans even observe this Sunday as its own holiday. This televised event draws in tens of millions of nationwide viewers each year, but that doesn’t mean watching the game is easy (or cheap). In fact, many viewers are still forced to make sacrifices in order to access the content – such as spending hundreds on cable packages or missing out on important in-game action due to glitches during a livestream.
Ahead of this weekend’s event, Antennas Direct commissioned a survey polling 800 U.S. adults who plan to watch the Big Game to anticipate viewership trends and better understand Americans’ preferences and frustrations with watching.
How Americans Will Watch
Nearly half of Americans will tune into the Big Game via cable or satellite TV (48%) while others will use online live streaming (28%) or a TV antenna (16%).
Regardless of where or how they tune in, viewers are serious about gametime. In fact, roughly half plan to set up multiple screens to digest as much content as possible (49%). This includes viewing the game on a TV while keeping up with social media updates and game highlights on a smartphone or computer.
The Cost of Sports Viewing
For those who will tune in via traditional cable and satellite TV packages, they’re forfeiting big bucks each month. Many cable viewers spend $76-$125 on their monthly cable bill (28%). One in ten spend more than $175 each month (10%).
Notably, more than 1 in 3 Americans (36%) say they had to invest in an entirely new TV subscription in order to watch content like the Big Game, emphasizing Americans’ commitment to sports viewing.
The Continued Issues with Sports Streaming
In the past year, most Americans have used streaming apps (such as ESPN+, Amazon Prime, Sling TV) to watch live sports games (59%). However, technical issues that disrupt the viewing experience will likely prevent them from watching the Big Game online. Of the viewers that have used sports streaming apps in the past year, they’ve reported issues such as:
54% Experienced rebuffering issuesthat paused the stream | 51% Experienced lag that causeddelayed game viewing |
43% Experienced general issuesaccessing the live streamedcontent | 41% Experienceds poor video quality(i.e. blurry or pixelated video) |
The Big Game Isn’t Just a Sporting Event
Americans are not only watching the Big Game to root for a particular team or even for the love of football. This event provides opportunities for other social aspects and interactions:
| 76% | Will watch the game with a group of family members and/or friends |
| 47% | Will bring a mobile device to keep up with the action and/or commercials when they step away from the game (e.g., for a bathroom break) |
| 45% | Will engage in some form of betting or gambling on the game in addition to watching it |
Antennas Can Help Sports Fan Watch the Big Game – Seamlessly & Affordably
While consumers across the U.S. will enjoy the Big Game this Sunday, it’s unfortunate that so many will experience technical issues or cross hurdles to access the content – when they don’t need to. Cutting the cord and buying a TV antenna is a one-time purchase which can cut down monthly household expenses like over-priced cable bills while providing access to popular TV programs such as sporting events via an optimal viewing experience.
Interested in making the switch? Use code LVI2022 to get 25% off any TV antenna, valid through February 13. If you have an antenna, check out this guide to see what channel NBC is on in your area using your TV antenna to watch the Big Game.