Data: U.S. Football Fans Overwhelmingly Prefer Watching the Game from Home

By Amy Hubbell, director of intelligence

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For football fans, kicking off a fresh season brings more joy than cracking open a fresh beer. But where you’re enjoying the two makes the biggest difference.

Let’s dip into some icy, refreshing data to learn more.

Our Brand Joy Lab has crunched the stats over the last few weeks, and while drinking a beer brings home a Joy Score of 65 for frequent drinkers, the beginning of the football season easily tops it with a 77. (Only “taking a vacation” scores higher.)

Where we like to watch the game

But why choose when we can have both – and a wide, cushy seat – in the comfort of our own homes?

This is where our data reveals the real gem: Americans tell us that watching a game on TV is even more joyful than watching live from the stands.

Here’s the breakdown of where people like to watch:

• Home: 74%
• SportsBar/Pub: 28%
• Stadium: 18%
• Friend’s Home: 11%

Why our viewing location matters for brands

But when we get into the why, we find the key insight for brands. Even though the game is the draw, the products that we enjoy from home make for the sweeter experience: more delicious food, more comfortable seats and much better drinks! There’s seldom a line at the restroom and you don’t have to worry about traffic and parking. And, of course, the whole experience is a whole lot cheaper at home than at the stadium – unless you go really crazy with the food and beverages.

These responses gave us an idea of just how wide the playing field is for brands on gameday. Almost any type of product has the chance to add joy to the experience.

“I love watching the game at home,” said one respondent. “We especially love the coziness of gameday chili, fuzzy blankets, dogs on laps, pumpkin beer and watching while multi-tasking with our teen kiddos.”

Another interviewee cited the second-screen potential: “I can watch a game, hop to another, search on a player’s history, see what people are saying on X and pause and rewind if needed.”

Others fit the game into a larger routine. You can “see the action more clearly with professional commentary and do other things while the game is on.”

For those with small children at home, going to the stadium can be a completely unrealistic idea. Or, at least, it can require a lot of planning and preparation. And money. Overall, the ability to be together with family and friends is a big selling point for the living room. “For me, it’s who you surround yourself with that makes for the optimal experience.”

Our favorite response, though, came from here in New Orleans: “I love watching at home. It’s better than being there because I can really see what’s going on, I have all my specific gameday food going – I’m always cooking some big elaborate project – and my beer. I’m more comfortable... And I have no hesitation running around my yard with my shirt off screaming ‘WHO DAT?!’ after we smash the Cowboys. I can go nuts freely in a way I can’t in public.”

Bottom line

Everything from toilet paper to t-shirts figures prominently in how we choose to enjoy the game. The question for brands: how to own the joy they bring on gameday.

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