PUBLIC OPINION POLL

The Anatomy of the 2021 LV Fan

New York, February 5, 2021—-Maru/Blue Public Opinion released today an in-depth report titled “The Anatomy of the 2021 Super Bowl LV Fan” which examines the state of play for those who intend to tune in to the Super Bowl this coming Sunday, February 7, 2021.

Patrick Mahomes and the burst onto the sports scene with last year’s Super Bowl win over the 49ers, 31-20. The 2020 Super Bowl was the last major sporting event before COVID-19 stopped all major sports for months, and sports fans clamoured for any sports content they could find such as “The Last Dance” on ESPN (now Netflix), until the MLB, NHL and NBA seasons restarted.

Taking a step back…

For most Americans, an entirely new world began cascading forward on March 11, 2020, when the National Basketball Association (NBA) announced the suspension of the 2019–20 following Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert testing positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Next followed postponements in not only every other major sport, but in almost every aspect of civil and business life for the rest of the year.

Against this turbulent and life altering backdrop, the NFL nonetheless, and with adequate virus protective protocols in place for players and fans alike, started their 2020-2021 season off with the NFL Kickoff game on September 10, in which defending Super Bowl LIV champion Kansas City Chiefs defeated the . And, as this research report is being written, we are just days away from the next Super Bowl game between the returning champs Kansas City Chiefs with and the with newly at the helm—whose are as much of a draw to the game as the game itself.

The research findings cover virtually every yard of the football fan playing field—from who they are compared to other major league sports followers, and how invested in the sport and Super Bowl ritual they are, to whether they’ll watch and why. The survey coverage is not just where fans will tune into the game and what they want from the advertising, but even how and what they’ll wager, along with many, many other ground-breaking insights.

And here’s the spoiler alert: at the very end of this report, you’ll find out who is picked to take home this season’s .

What follows is literally, The Anatomy of the 2021 Super Bowl LV Fan – insights that let you see everything up close and more ready for game day than you ever have before.

Maru Group marugroup.net NEW YORK / / SAN FRANCISCO / / LONDON / SOUTHAMPTON / EDINBURGH / BUENOS AIRES / TORONTO / VANCOUVER 1 PUBLIC OPINION POLL The Study Findings

The following are some of the findings of a Maru/Blue Public Opinion Poll conducted among 1,507 randomly selected American adults who are members of Maru/Blue‘s Maru Springboard America Online panel between January 29 - 31, 2021 and is considered nationally accurate within +/- 2.9 percentage points for the total sample using a Bayesian Credibility Interval.

Americans Who Follow Sports: NFL Football Reigns over MLB, NBA, and NHL

When asked if they watch or follow various sports leagues—NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL—a majority (55%) of Americans cheered from the stands for the as their number one choice, followed by Major League baseball (40%), the Major League Basketball Association (34%), and the national Hockey League (25%). Each of those followers who are there to play when their teams are assessed:

NFL (National Football League) – 55%: most likely to live in the Midwest (59%) and the Northeast (58%), followed by those residing in the South (56%), and in the West (46%). Most likely be male (69%) compared to female (41%), along with those who are younger (aged 18 – 34 62%) and middle-aged (35 – 54 56%) compared to older (55+ 47%) Americans. They are also most likely to be the highest educated (university+ 67%), followed by those who have college/associate education (53%), and then high school or less education (47%). They are also likely to be the highest household income earners ($100,000+ 65%) and those in the upper middle range of income ($50,000 – $99,000 62%), compared to those with lower incomes ($25,000 – $49,000 54 %/less than $25,000 40%).

MLB (Major League Baseball) – 40%: most likely to live in the Northeast (45%) and the Midwest (45%), followed by those who live in both the South (37%) and in the West (36%). They are also most likely to be male (51%) compared to females (29%), and to be under 54 years of age (42%) compared to older Americans (55+ 37%). They are also more likely to be the highest educated (51%), followed then by those who are either college/associate/high school or less educated (36%). They also tend to be the highest household income earners ($100,000+ 51%), compared to upper middle ($50,000 – $99,000 46%) and lower income earners ($25,000 – $49,000 40%), and those who have the least amount of annual income (less than $25,000 23%).

NBA (National Basketball Association) – 34%: most likely to live in the Northeast (38%), followed by those who live in both the South (35%) and the West (35%), and lastly in the Midwest (30%). They also tend to be male (48%) compared to female (22%) and are younger (18 – 34 48%) compared to those who are older (aged 35 – 54 39%/55+ rat 19%). They are also more likely to be the highest educated (university+ 47%) compared to those who have college/associate education (34%) or high school or less education (26%). They are also the highest income earners ($100,000 + 47%), followed by upper middle income ($50,000 – $99,000 39%), lower middle income ($25,000 – $49,000 30 %), and those earning less than $25,000 per year (27%).

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NHL (National Hockey League) – 25%: most likely to live in either the Northeast (31%) or the Midwest (31%), followed by those in the West (25%), and the South (19%). They are also more likely to be male (34%) than female (17%), are more likely to be middle-aged (35 – 54 31%) and young (aged 18 – 34 30%) compared to those who are the oldest (55+) Americans. They also tend to be the highest educated (university + 36%), followed by those who are college/associate educated (24%), and those who have high school or less (19%). From an income perspective, they are likely to be the highest educated ($100,000 + 38%), followed then by those in the upper middle income range ($50,000 – $99,000 28%), those in the lower middle income range ($25,000 – $49,000 21%), and those in the lowest income range ($25,000 or less 17%).

And Half (51%) of Americans Have an NFL Team They Follow Regularly

Half (51%) of Americans indicate they follow an NFL team during the season. Those who do so are more likely to live in the Midwest (54%), followed by those residing in the northeast (53%) and the South (53%), and the West (44%). These football fans tend to be male (65%) versus female (38%), and also are more likely to be the youngest Americans (aged 18 – 34 57%) compared to those who are either middle-aged (35 – 54 53%) or the oldest Americans (55+ 44%). They are also more likely to have the highest level of education (62%), compared with those who are either college/associate educated (47%) or have high school or less (46%). From an income perspective, they are most likely to be the highest income earners ($100,000 + 60%), followed by those who are in the upper middle income range ($50,000 – $99,000 56%), the lower middle income range (25,000 – 49,000 51%), and those who earn $25,000 or less (38%). Almost One Quarter (22%) of Americans Consider themselves to be Die Hard NFL Fans

When it comes to following professional football, Americans categorize themselves as:

• I’m a die-hard professional football fan—I have a favorite team that I follow, and I watch as many of the games as I can and follow the standings and players closely – 22%: most likely to reside in the Northeast (24%), followed by those in the South (22%), the Midwest (21%), and the West (19%). Most likely to be male (31%) compared to female (12%) and be either young (aged 18 – 34 27%) or middle-aged (35 – 54 25%) compared to those who are oldest (55+ 15%). This group also tends to be comprised of most educated (University + 25%) or those with college/associate education (24%), compared to those with high school or less (18%). From an income perspective, this group is led by those who are either the highest income earners ($100,000+ 26%) or have an upper middle income range ($50,000 – $99,000 24 %), followed by those who are in the lower middle income range ($25,000 – $49,000 21 %) and those who are the least earning group ($25,000 or less 18%).

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• I’m a fan but not die-hard—I generally like watching professional football when I can because it’s interesting and fun – 25%: most likely to live in the South (20%), followed by those who live in both the Northeast (25%) and the Midwest (25%), and the West (20%). This group tends to be male (29%) more than female (21%), and also is more likely to be either the youngest (aged 18 – 34 27%) or oldest (55+26%) Americans compared to their middle-aged counterparts (35 – 54 22%). They also tend to be the highest educated (university+ 31%) compared with those who are the least educated (high school or less 23%) or college/associate (21%) educated. Income -wise, this group is led by those who are the highest income earners ($100,000+ 30%), followed by those in the upper middle-income range ($50,000 – $99,000 27 %), those in the lower middle-income category ($25,000 – $49,000 25%), and those with the least amount of earnings ($25,000 or less 18%).

• I’m an occasional professional football fan—I’ll watch a game or drop in when there is a really big event, but for the most part I don’t really follow it at all – 19%: led by those who are most likely to live in the Midwest (21%), followed by those who live both in the South (19%) and the West (19%), and the Northeast (17%). This group tends to be female (22%) versus male (16%) and in terms of age groups are all equivalent to the national average (19%). They are also likely to be either college/associate educated (20%) or the highest educated (university+ 19%), compared to their least educated counterparts (high school or less 17%). They also tend to be the highest income earners ($100,000+ 22%) whereas each of the remaining income groups is lower yet equal (17%).

• I’m not a professional football fan at all and really couldn’t care about the sport or its events – 35%.

And One in Seven (15%) Americans Are More Interested in the NFL this Season over Last Year

There’s no doubt that one impact of the pandemic on Americans has been for them to have more free time to spend at home with time watching TV and finding greater interest in the NFL—which is especially true for one in seven (15%) Americans. Notwithstanding the fact that almost four in ten (37%) are even less interested in the NFL from last year (remembering from above that 35% couldn’t care less already), there’s a clear consistency between potential viewers (62%) and those who are combined with more (15%) or the same interest (49%) in the NFL season this year over last (64%):

• I’m more interested in the NFL this season than last season: 15% • My interest in the NFL is consistent with last season: 49% • I’m less interested in the NFL this season than last season: 37%

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Almost Two-Thirds (62%) of Americans Say They Could Be Tuning in to Watch this Coming Sunday’s Super Bowl Game—One Third (36%) For Sure

With the Super Bowl football game being played this coming Sunday, February 7, 2021 between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers it would appear that upwards of almost two-thirds of Americans could be tuning in to watch all or some of the contest. For at least one third (35%) of Americans the Super Bowl will be a “must see event” with another quarter (26%) of Americans indicating that while not a big thing for them usually, this will get their attention to get up off the bench and onto the viewing field. Americans categorize themselves into the following three groups:

• I will absolutely be tuning in to watch the Super Bowl —it is a must see event for me – 36%: most likely to live in the northeast (37%) and the South (37%), followed by those in the Midwest (35%), and the West (34%). This group is also more likely to be male (48%) than female (24%) and be a younger audience (aged 18 – 34 42%) or middle-aged (35 – 54 41%) compared to those who are the oldest Americans (55+ 26%). This group also attracts the highest educated (university + 46%), followed by those who are college/associate educated (36%), or having high school or less education (29%). They are also comprised of those who are more likely to be the highest income earners ($100,000+ 46%), followed by those in the upper middle income range ($50,000 – $99,000 39%) or lower middle earnings ($25,000 – $49,000 36 %), and least by those who have the lowest amount of income (26%).

• I’ll probably tune in to the Super Bowl —football is not a big thing for me usually, but this will get my attention because it is special – 26%: most likely to live in both the Midwest (27%) and the South (27%), followed by those who equally live in the Northeast (24%) and the West (24%). Equally male (26%) and female (26%), those who are the youngest (aged 18 – 34 30%) Americans and those who are the oldest (55+ 29%) are more likely to tune in than those who are middle-aged (35 – 54 19%). The highest educated (university+ 28%) lead the way in this group, followed by those with the least amount of education (high school or less 26%), and by those who are college/associate educated (24%). Those earning more than $25,000 a year (27%) are equivalent in each income category and are just ahead of those who earn the least amount of income ($25,000 or less 23%).

• I have absolutely no interest in watching any part of the Super Bowl —it’s something that I could really care less about – 38%.

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And the Vast Majority (80%) of those Potential Viewers Intend to Watch the Game from Home

Again, no doubt the pandemic is having an influence as the vast majority (80%) of those potential viewers (62%) are planning to tune in from their home, either by themselves or with family members—and especially not in a bar or restaurant where others will be attending to watch the game (1%). Likely viewers indicate they will be watching the Super Bowl:

• From their own home by themselves or with family members: 80%

• At their home with a few friends who have come over to watch with me: 12%

• At someone else’s home to watch the game with them and/or others: 7%

• At a bar or restaurant where others will be attending to watch the game: 1%

Providing Premier Access to the Super Bowl, CBS TV is the Clear Choice (81%)

With broadcaster CBS solely carrying the Super Bowl on Sunday, the only question left is about where potential viewers (62%) will access the game and half-time show. Again, not surprisingly, the vast majority (81%) intend to access the game from a TV—consistent with the findings above that have as many (80%) indicating that they will be watching from their own home by themselves or with family members. Other potential viewers round out the likely modes of access as follows:

• CBS TV: 81%

• CBS All Access (SVOD—streaming service): 9%

• CBS Sports app: 3%

• On a service provided at a place outside of your home—like a friend’s house, bar or restaurant: 7%

Half (49%) of Potential Viewers are Tuning in for the Big Game Itself, Others Primarily for the Half Time Show (15%) or Both (36%)

Understanding the motives as to why Americans are potentially turning up and tuning in to the Super Bowl is important because the draw can affect the outreach and emphasis for the

Maru Group marugroup.net NEW YORK / CHICAGO / SAN FRANCISCO / LOS ANGELES / LONDON / SOUTHAMPTON / EDINBURGH / BUENOS AIRES / TORONTO / VANCOUVER 6 PUBLIC OPINION POLL network programming of the big day. Of potential viewers (62%), half (49%) indicate they’re there to mainly watch the game itself, one third (36%) are there for both the game and the half time entertainment, with the remainder (15%) opting to mainly see the half time entertainment which this year features The Weeknd and another yet to be announced performer. A deeper dive into the three motivated groups reveals the following:

• To mainly watch the game itself – 49%: most likely to live in the Northeast (52%) and the Midwest (52%), followed by those in the South (49%), and the West (45%). This group is also more likely to be male (58%) than female (36%), and virtually equal by age group (50%). Education is not distinctive (average 49%) and neither is household income (average 49%)

• To mainly watch the half time entertainment – 15%: more likely to live in the West (17%), be female (21%), young (aged 18 – 34 17%), with either college/associate or university+ education (16%), and tend to be middle income earners (16%)

• To watch both the game and the half time entertainment – 36%: most likely to reside in either the West (39%) and the South (38%), followed by those in the Northeast (34%) and the Midwest (32%). This group is most likely to be female (42%) compared to their male counterparts (32%), is equivalent in all age groups (average 36%), is more likely to have college/associate education or less (38%) compared to the highest educated (university+ 32%). This group also tends to have the least amount of household income ($25,000 or less 41%) compared to those who have lower middle income ($25,000 – $49,000 38%), the highest income earnings ($100,000+ 36%), and those who have upper middle income (33%).

Half (47%) of potential Viewers Agree that the Ads Played During the Event are an Integral Part of the

With such an eyeball bonanza each year, the Super Bowl attracts advertisers of products and services who create ads specifically for the occasion—many of them ranging from a heart stopping showcase (like the Apple brand 1984 theme) to the (mainly) humorous ventures (like the iconic Wendy’s “Where’s the Beef?”). So, how much are these ads a draw in and of themselves for potential viewers to tune in and see what they’re all about? For half (47%) they are integral to the entire package:

• These ads are an integral part of the Super Bowl experience—they’re one of the things that draws me to the entire event – 47%: most likely living in either the Northeast (52%) or the West (52%), followed by those in the South (46%), and the Midwest (40%). This group tends to have more women (49%) than men (46%), and also attracts a youngish crowd

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(aged 54 or less 52%) compared to their older counterparts (55+ 36%). Those most likely to have this perspective are the highest educated (56%) and those who earn the most ($100,000+ 57%). • They may be entertaining, but they’re not that big of draw for me to tune in to the event – 43%: most likely to live in the Midwest (55%), are male (45%), older (55+ 49%), are either college/associate educated or less (46%) and earn less than $99,000 household income (average 44%).

• I don’t really watch the ads—they break up the game so I can go to the bathroom or grab something from the fridge – 10%.

And the Types of Ads Most Potential Viewers Want this Year: Funny (39%), Entertaining (32%)

The pressure on advertisers to do breakthrough creative for their Super Bowl spots doesn’t just come from their clients wanting them to come up with something that’s motivating and memorable, but to also be conscious of the temper of the times. Much was the case in the aftermath of 9/11 for the 2002 Super Bowl where choices had to be gauged and made—while Monster.com decided to feature then New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani in a somber take on resilience, virtually all other spots that year were creatively distracting with humor or tasteful entertainment.

Similarly, the NFL season and its culminating 2021 Super Bowl is set against a backdrop of significant turbulence—not only with the greatest pandemic in over a century, but also the cauldron of political and social discourse unprecedented in generations.

So, we asked those who may well tune in to watch Super Bowl LV to rank the thematic elements of the ads they’d prefer to watch during the breaks in the game—and seven in 10 (71%) said they’d prefer either a funny (39%) or entertaining (32%) distraction (which, of course, the Super Bowl event is writ large). Given only one vote, here’s what they elected to be delivered:

Funny – 39% Entertaining – 32% Inspirational – 10% Hopeful – 6% Sentimental – 5% Serious – 4% Cause-driven – 4%

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The profile of all of those most likely to wager (23% of the 62% tuning in, or 14% of Americans in total) – finds the greatest number living in the Northeast (32%), followed by those residing in the West (25%), the South (21%) and the Midwest (19%). They also are more likely to be male (30%) than female (14%),and are younger (aged 18 – 34 37%), compared to those who are middle-aged (35 – 54 23%), or older (55+ 8%). This group is also more likely to be higher educated (university+ 30%) compared to those who are college/associate educated or less (19%). Those with the highest income level ($100,000 + 33%) are more likely to bet than those who are in the upper middle income range ($50,000 – $99,000 27%), the lower middle income group ($25,000 – $49,000 19%), or those with the least amount of income ($25,000 or less 13%).

And when making the wager, it will most likely be:

• Mainly with money via a professionally licensed betting outlet or online service: 56%

• Mainly with money just between friends and family: 27%

• Mainly with money via a non-licensed professional betting arrangement: 13%

• Without money, just a friendly bet between family or friends: 5%

Kansas City Chiefs (59%) Favored to Win the 2021 Super Bowl LV

At the end of the day there can only be one winner to wear the coveted —and, of all of those Americans who intend to tune in to watch the 2021 Super Bowl LV, a majority (59%) pick the Kansas City Chiefs to triumph over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (41%).

• Kansas City Chiefs – 59%: more likely to live in the Midwest (68%) than in the West (58%), or in the South (57%), or the Northeast (55%). This group is almost equally male (61%) or female (58%), and the are likely to be the majority of each age group (average 59%), education background (average 59%), and household income (average 59%).

• Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 41%: more likely to live in the Northeast (45%), followed by those who live in the South (43%) and the West (42%), and the Midwest (32%). This group tends to be slightly more female (42%) than male (39%) but find equivalency in each age group (average 41%). This group tends to be lower educated (college/associate 44% and high school or less 40%) compared to those who are the most educated (university +30%). There also tend to be more in the lowest income range ($25,000 or less 45%) then those earning more ($25,000 + 41%).

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Methodology

The following are some of the findings of a Maru/Blue Public Opinion Poll conducted among 1,507 randomly selected American adults who are members of Maru/Blue‘s Maru Springboard America Online panel between January 29 - 31, 2021 and is considered nationally accurate within +/- 2.9 percentage points for the total sample using a Bayesian Credibility Interval. A subsample of 62% of Americans indicating they intend to tune into the Super Bowl (1007) carries a Credibility Interval of +/- 3.5 percentage points. The results have been weighted by education, age, gender, and region to match the population according to the most recent census data so that the sample is representative of the entire adult population of the United States. Discrepancies between the reported totals and data tables are due to rounding. This report and the detailed tables can be found at https://www.marublue.com/american-polls

For more information contact:

John Wright Executive Vice President Maru/Blue Public Opinion North America 102 Madison Avenue New York, NY, 10016, US D: 1-917-594-5555 (NYC) [email protected]

About Maru/Blue www.marublue.com/public-opinion is a research channel for one of North America’s leading premium quality data services firms. www.marublue.com provides reliable global data for private, public, and not-for-profit sector clients. It is part of the www.marugroup.net that operates from ten centres within four continents. The Maru/Blue Public Opinion channel does not do any work for any political party. We are trusted advisors, and in a world of suspect information, we are obsessed with quality so we can deliver reliable, reproducible results. The world is changing, and the imperative must be to #KnowEverything

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