Super Bowl XLVI is coming this Sunday, and there’s a lot more riding on the game than that $20 bet with your neighbor. Tom Brady and the Patriots are going for their fourth Lombardi Trophy, while Eli Manning and the New York Giants try to beat the Patriots in the big game for the second time in five years. But another battle is going on behind the scenes: the fight for your dollars. As one of the most celebrated days of the year, Super Bowl Sunday provides a nice punt … excuse me, punch, for the economy.
With a record number of viewers expected to watch the NFL Championship game, consumer spending is expected to reach record highs. According to the National Retail Federation, a record $11 billion will be spent on the Super Bowl, with fans across the country spending an average of $63.87 on food and drink, technology, and football gear. That’s up from $59.33 per person last year.
A large number of game-watchers, whether at home or away, will be ordering food from a restaurant. The National Restaurant Association predicts 48 million Americans will order takeout or delivery and 12 million viewers are expected to watch at a restaurant or bar. Super Bowl Sunday isn’t the day to rummage through the pantry and settle for a bowl of Ramen. The food and beverage industry is counting on you to fork over some dough.
While many are hitting the grocery store to get ready for the Big Game, others are perusing tech sites and technology stores to make their game-day experience more satisfying. HLN Money Expert Clark Howard says if you’re looking for a high-definition television, there are plenty of great offers on flat screens leading up to the Super Bowl. Tech deal aggregator TechBargains.com says 25% of the people it surveyed are considering buying a TV in time for kickoff. Also, be on the lookout for tech deals to extend to smart phones, apps, laptops, and movie screens as companies try to cash in on the multi-platform manner in which fans experience media entertainment.
Posts like “Oh my Gaaaawd, Brady is soooo clutch!”(or Manning, since it’s ‘equal time’ season) will be clogging Facebook and Twitter timelines on Sunday and advertisers are prepared. Fans watching the game are likely to simultaneously be making posts on social media and companies like Coke, Chevrolet, and NBC are making offers to take advantage of the ‘second screens’. Chevy in particular has rolled out a free Super Bowl app that allows people to enter contests. The tech industry is a huge part of the advertising blitz on Super Bowl Sunday, so companies are previewing their ads on social media in the hopes that their ads go viral and you repost them. Not only do marketing firms want you to talk about your favorite commercials the next day, they’re counting on you to share them.
Bottom line: The players for the Patriots and Giants aren’t the only ones looking to score big on Sunday.The Super Bowl is more than a game: It’s big business!
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