With Super Bowl LII on the horizon on Feb. 4 and only eight NFL teams in the playoff picture, Ticketmaster is looking at whether fan behavior can really influence whether their team makes it to the big game or not.
In their new survey called Fan Up!, the official ticketing partner of the NFL and Super Bowl LII polled 1,000 fans to gain insights into their behaviors, rituals and most bizarre superstitions.
From in-stadium activities and tailgating to ticket purchasing habits and lucky clothing, Ticketmaster sheds light on what drives NFL fans’ passions.
We’ve all met those guys (or girls) who are the loudest, the most annoyingly knowledgeable or superstitious in the stadium — check out the five most common archetypes of the NFL fan below, according to the survey.
- Memory Maker Fan: 40 percent of NFL fans say attending a game has strengthened their relationship
- Traveling Fan: 30 percent of NFL fans will travel 100+ miles to see their team play
- Ritual Fan: Wearing lucky clothing is fans’ #1 game day ritual
- Loudest/Cheering Fans: 50 percent of all NFL fans are most proud of being the loudest in the stadium
- Tailgating Fan: 40 percent of NFL fans say food at tailgates increases energy in the stadium
Far from being a male obsession, Ticketmaster also found that women’s NFL fandom at times exceeds that of men, with five percent more women saying they would go see their team play in person even with a losing record late in the season. (yep, it’s called loyalty, guys!)
See the rest of Ticketmaster’s findings below, and check out their site to find tickets for Super Bowl LII.
NFL Fans Believe Being in the Stadium Can Influence the Game
- More than 90% of NFL fans say the crowd in the stadium can sometimes or always influence the outcome of the game
- Millennials are the generation most likely to say that being in the stadium can always influence the outcome of the game
- More than half of NFL fans say cheers and chanting can most influence the outcome of the game
- Nearly 40% of NFL fans say a combination of cheers, face paint, costumes, and dancing are most likely to influence the outcome of the game
- Four times more men than women say that dancing and costumes can most influence the outcome of a game
Nearly half of NFL fans are most proud of being the loudest fans while 35% are proudest of withstanding the worst weather
NFL Fans are Hardcore About Being at Games
- The top three reasons being at the game is better than watching at home are the energy of the crowd (71%), it’s more fun to watch (35%), and feeling like part of the city (23%)
- More women than men (10%) say that the energy of the crowd is what makes watching a game in person better than watching it somewhere else
- Nearly 20% of NFL fans think being at the game is better because it helps the team
- More Boomers than any other generation (25% margin) say that cheering/chanting can most influence the outcome of the game
- NFL Fans are willing to travel to see their team in action – nearly 30% are willing to travel up to 100 miles and more than 20% are willing to travel more than 500 miles
- 25% of female fan respondents say they’ve traveled 100 miles to see their team in action
- Gen X fans are most likely to have traveled 500 miles or more to see their team in action
- NFL Fans are most likely to go to games with their friends (40%) or spouse (39%)
- Of all age groups, Gen X is 11% more likely to attend a game with a spouse
- 1 in 10 fans attend with their children
- Nearly 40% of NFL fans say that attending a game has strengthened their relationship
- Nearly half of Millennials say their relationship has been strengthened by attending an NFL game
- 25% of NFL fans attend 1-3 games per season
- Nearly 1 in 10 go to more than eight games per season or more
Nearly Fifty Percent of NFL Fans have a Game Day Ritual or Superstition
- Forty percent of NFL fans say they are superstitious
- Thirty percent of NFL fans believe game day rituals and superstitions can influence the outcome of the game
- The most popular game day rituals are wearing a lucky piece of clothing (20%) and tailgating (18%)
- Most NFL fans say that food (38%) and the people (30%) at tailgates are most likely to increase the energy in the stadium
- 1 in 10 NFL fans say the outfits are most likely to increase energy in the stadium
NFL Fans Reflect True Sports Fandom
- Thirty percent of NFL fans would give up a free trip to Tahiti to go see their team play in the Super Bowl
- Millennials are most likely of all generations to give up their job (10%) or their hand (13%) to go see their team play in the Super Bowl
- Thirty-four percent of NFL fans say they are very likely to see their team play even if they have a losing record late in the season
- Women are more likely than men (by 5% margin) to go see their team even with a losing record late in the season
- Unexpectedly, more NFL fans say they would miss a game because of an angry spouse (19%) than a losing record (13%)
NFL Fans Are Last Minute Buyers
- This season, only 10% of NFL fans bought their tickets at the start of the season, while 25% buy them 1-3 months in advance of game day
- Millennials are most likely of all generations to buy tickets at the start of the season
- Gen X’ers are most likely to buy tickets 1-3 months in advance