Survey: 1 In 5 Adults Would Miss Wedding, Funeral To Attend Super Bowl
DETROIT (WWJ) - What would you give up to go to the Super Bowl? With the year's most highly anticipated sporting event just hours away now, a new survey revealed what major life events U.S. adults would miss to attend a Super Bowl game featuring their favorite NFL team.
Of those who have a favorite NFL team, the top response was a vacation (23 percent), followed by an important work responsibility (21 percent), wedding of a close friend or family member (20 percent), funeral of a loved one (19 percent) and the birth of their child (15 percent).
Missing major life events for a Super Bowl game demonstrates the NFL football game's widespread popularity among Americans.
Nearly four-in-ten (37 percent) U.S. adults said the Super Bowl is the best major sporting event, with only nine percent saying the same of the MLB World Series and 7 percent saying the same of the NCAA March Madness Championship.
In addition, 56 percent of U.S. adults said they plan to watch the Super Bowl this year. Men are significantly more likely to watch the Super Bowl this year at 67 percent, compared to 46 percent of women.
Not everyone watches the Super Bowl solely for love of the game, though. While 47 percent of those who plan to watch the Super Bowl this year said it's because they love NFL football and would never miss it, others reported different reasons for tuning in.
Nearly four-in-ten (37 percent) said they will watch the game primarily for the commercials. Women are significantly more likely to do this than men, at 44 percent to 31 percent, respectively. One-third (33 percent) said they will watch the game because it's fun to go to a Super Bowl party.
Betting on the Super Bowl is a common practice for many, as nearly one-third (31 percent) of U.S. adults said they've ever bet on the outcome of a Super Bowl game in the past. Men are significantly more likely than women to say they've bet on the game, at 41 percent and 21 percent, respectively.
When it comes to wins and losses, the survey found 44 percent U.S. adults who've ever bet on a Super Bowl won $100 or more, 12 percent won $201-$500, and 7 percent won $501 or more. That's compared to the 92 percent who lost money betting on the superbowl, 14 percent of which lost $100 or more.
This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of Coupon Cabin from Jan. 9-11, 2012 among 2,625 adults ages 18 and older.
