Survey: COVID-19 concerns could mean more takeout and tech for Super Bowl LV

Fans plan virtual parties and ordering from restaurants;
look forward to 5G enhancements at stadiums post-pandemic

Highlights:

• Local restaurants should see an uptick in business on game day, as 52% of likely-watchers are likely to order food, compared to 32% who reported ordering food last year, a potential increase of over 60%
• Twice as many fans as last year are likely to watch virtually with friends
• Nearly 7 in 10 avid NFL fans agree that 5G at stadiums and venues will transform the live event experience for fans
  

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., Feb. 05, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Survey findings released today by Verizon show that the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting the majority of NFL fans’ plans for the big game (53% of US adults and 75% of avid fans). According to the survey, conducted by Morning Consult, 60% more fans expect to order from local restaurants compared to last year, and 83% of adults plan to watch the Super Bowl at home with members of their household.

Football fans’ food-ordering frenzy

As the pandemic continues to keep people at home, more than half surveyed plan to order food from local small businesses (52%) or restaurant chains (50%), up 60% from last year when approximately a third of respondents ordered (32% and 30% respectively). Gen Zers and Millennials are far more likely to order takeout or delivery than their older counterparts.

5G and technology enhancing the fan experience

Survey respondents see technology as an enhancement to their viewing experience either at home or at the stadium, with nearly half of adults (49%) and nearly 7 in 10 avid NFL fans agreeing that 5G at stadiums and venues will transform the live event experience for fans. Fifty-six percent of adults who plan to tune in this year expressed interest in using a mobile app to view five different game camera angles at home in real time (56%) and to zoom in and rewind the game in real time (57%). Learn more about how to engage with five different camera angles here: https://www.verizon.com/about/news/verizon-elevates-super-bowl-lv

Verizon is committed to deploying 5G Ultra Wideband in 28 NFL stadiums by the end of 2021, with expanded coverage in select stadiums.

Watching together, apart

Fans may be watching the game at home, but they want to stay connected with their broader network of friends and family for every play. One in five plan to watch this year’s Super Bowl virtually with friends through video or online chat -- twice the share who say they did so last year. This trend was found across all age groups, and nearly 1 in 3 Millennials and Gen Zers said they plan to attend a virtual party this Sunday.

Verizon Media’s Watch Together is available on the Yahoo Sports mobile app starting with kick off at 6:30pm ET on CBS. Learn more here: https://www.verizon.com/about/news/verizon-elevates-super-bowl-lv.

Other report findings:

• Nearly 1 in 3 fans will be multitasking with other content on another device during the game, with half of them using their smartphones, and they are more likely to be Gen Zers and Millennials.
• Although the game is the most important reason that likely Super Bowl watchers are tuning in (83%), seeing the new commercials (69%) is just ahead of halftime show performances (65%) as the next most popular reasons to watch.
• Most respondents plan to watch the game on a cable TV channel (58%), while about a third (32%) plan to stream the game. Not surprisingly, Gen Zers and Millennials are more likely to say they plan to stream the game than watch it on cable TV, while the opposite is true of Gen Xers and Boomers.
  

Verizon commissioned this poll conducted by Morning Consult between Feb. 3 and 4, 2021 among a national sample of 2,200 adults in the United States. The interviews were conducted online and the data was weighted to approximate a target sample of adults based on gender, educational attainment, age, race, and region.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) was formed on June 30, 2000 and is one of the world’s leading providers of technology, communications, information and entertainment products and services. Headquartered in New York City and with a presence around the world, Verizon generated revenues of $128.3 billion in 2020. The company offers data, video and voice services and solutions on its award-winning networks and platforms, delivering on customers’ demand for mobility, reliable network connectivity, security and control.

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Media contacts:
Matt Conte
matthew.conte@verizon.com

Elizabeth Jacobson Fox
elizabeth.jacobson@verizon.com