By Phoebe Gill, Creative Account Manager
The NFL Super Bowl took place on 9th February 2025, and as always, millions of Americans tuned in
for one of the biggest sporting events of the year, complete with an extravagant halftime show,
blockbuster commercials, and, of course, the game itself.
But across the pond, how much did Brits really care?
To find out, Censuswide polled 2,000 nationally representative UK respondents in the run-up to the
big day.
How familiar are Brits with American Football?
Among Brits who watch American football, the average fan has been watching / following the sport
for four years. However, interest is still relatively fresh for many with 1 in 6 (16%) having only started
watching within the past 1–6 months, and 1 in 9 (11%) having only gotten into it in the last 1–3
weeks. This shows the sport is gaining recent traction among some audiences.
Ahead of the game, almost 3 in 10 (27%) Brits were planning to watch* the Super Bowl, including 1
in 11 (9%) who were definitely planning to watch, and almost a fifth (18%) who were probably
planning to watch. Of those Brits who watch** American football, over 3 in 5 (61%) were planning to
watch* the Super Bowl this year, with over 9 in 10 (92%) of those who never miss a game were
planning to tune in also*.Age also played a role as half (50%) of those aged 25-34 said they planned to watch Sunday’s games*, compared to just 1 in 9 (11%) of those aged 55+.
When and how Brits watched the Super Bowl
Of those planning to watch the Super Bowl, over half (51%) were willing to stay up late to catch theaction live, while almost half (46%) said they’d watch it later via catch-up TV, streaming, oronline***. When it came to who they were rooting for, Brits seemed fairly neutral: 9% said they’d
support the Kansas City Chiefs, another 9% the Philadelphia Eagles, while a fifth (20%) were just
watching for entertainment and didn’t mind who won. Interestingly, even among those with limited exposure to the Super Bowl, enthusiasm was building.Just over half (51%) of Brits who had only watched a Super Bowl once before—and even 1 in 20 (5%)who had never watched one said they planned to tune in this time. So, what was drawing them in?
Taylor Swift, Kansas City Chiefs and star power
A fifth (20%) of Brits surveyed said they are more likely**** to watch the Super Bowl this year
because the Kansas City Chiefs are playing, with 2 in 5 (40%) respondents aged 25-34 who said this
would make them more likely**** to watch.
Then came the Swift effect as over a fifth (21%) of Brits said they were more likely**** to watch this
year because of the possibility of Taylor Swift attending games (to support Travis Kelce playing for
the Chiefs), with 1 in 12 (8%) who were much more likely to watch. Interestingly, more male than
female Brits said this will make them more likely**** to watch the Super Bowl this year (23% vs
19%).
The Swift buzz especially affected casual and first-time viewers with over 2 in 5 (43%) Brits who have
only watched the Super Bowl once before were more likely **** to watch due to her potential
appearance and 1 in 12 (8%), who have never watched before said, that made them more likely****
to watch too. It seems, then, the ‘Swift Effect’ might be boosting Brits’ interest in NFL this season.
Half-time Royalty
It wouldn’t be the Super Bowl without a blockbuster halftime performance and this year’s headline
act, Kendrick Lamar, was hotly anticipated. When Brits were asked to name their top Super Bowl
halftime headliners since 2010, the results were:
Rhianna, 2023 (16%)
Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, and Kendrick Lamar, 2022 (14%)
Lady Gaga, 2017 (12%)
Shakira and Jennifer Lopez, 2020 (12%)
Beyonce, 2013 (11%)
Did Kendrick make the top of the list this year? We’ll find out!
Whether it’s the sport, the spectacle, or the stars, the Super Bowl is slowly but surely winning over
British viewers. With rising interest, late-night streaming habits, and even a Taylor Swift cameo in
the mix, American football may be more than just a passing curiosity in the UK.
If you would like to discuss any market research ideas or projects, feel free to get in touch with us.
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*‘Yes, definitely’ and ‘Yes, probably’ answers combined.
**‘I watch this’ (NET) – ‘Always’, ‘Regularly’, and ‘Sometimes’ answers combined.
***‘On catch-up/TV/streaming/online after, in full’ and ‘On catch-up/TV/streaming/online after, just
the highlights’ answers combined.
**** ‘Much more likely’ and ‘Somewhat more likely’ answers combined.
