Is pay-per-view coming for the Super Bowl?

When the National Football League (NFL) placed one of its playoff matchups during its Wild Card Weekend exclusively on Peacock, a debate kicked off as to what, if any, impact that may have on viewership. The Harris Poll partnered with Front Office Sports to examine the impact that such a move would have on consumption habits of NFL playoff games. On the eve of Super Bowl LVIII between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs, the Harris Poll again partnered with Front Office Sports to take the pulse of Americans regarding their feelings on possibly moving the broadcast to a pay-per-view model. Below are the key takeaways.

The NFL offering the Super Bowl only as a pay-per-view would likely lead to piracy and an overall negative impact on the NFL.

Only a quarter of NFL fans (27%; and 21% of non-fans) think offering the Super Bowl broadcast only as a pay-per-view would have a positive impact on the NFL. Seven in ten NFL fans (68%; and 34% of non-fans) would try to find a way to watch the game without paying (e.g., watching with someone they know, unofficial stream) if the Super Bowl was only aired as a pay-per-view.

A notable portion of NFL fans would be willing to purchase the Super Bowl as a pay-per-view if it was their only option. That said, few would pay prices similar to current premier pay-per-view events, such as MMA or boxing matches. Purchase rates outside of NFL fans would likely be low.

Half (51%) of NFL fans would be at least somewhat likely to buy a Super Bowl pay-per-view if it were only available as a pay-per-view event, with 28% being very likely to purchase a pay-per-view. Only one in ten (10%) U.S. adults who are not NFL fans would be at least somewhat likely to buy a Super Bowl pay-per-view if it were only available as a pay-per-view event. Only one in ten NFL fans (11%; and 10% of U.S. adults) at least somewhat likely to buy a Super Bowl pay-per-view would pay $65 to $84.99 as a one-time fee to watch a live broadcast of the Super Bowl if it was not available on network television or streaming services. Nearly a third (29%) of NFL fans (and 18% of U.S. adults) at least somewhat likely to buy a Super Bowl pay-per-view would pay $35 to $64.99 as a one-time fee to watch a live broadcast of the game if it was not available on network television or streaming services. Roughly a third of NFL fans at least somewhat likely to buy a Super Bowl pay-per-view (31%; and 31% of U.S. adults) would be only willing to pay less than $15 as a one-time fee to watch a live broadcast of the Super Bowl if it was not available on network television or streaming services.

Even those who see themselves purchasing pay-per-view access to the Super Bowl frequently report that they would look for ways to offset the costs associated with watching.

Three quarters (76%) of U.S. adults at least somewhat likely to purchase a Super Bowl pay-per-view would split the cost of the one-time fee by inviting people they know to watch the game with them. Seven in ten (70%) U.S. adults at least somewhat likely to purchase a Super Bowl pay-per-view would be more likely to watch the game somewhere besides their home (e.g., bar, residence of someone they know, restaurant).

This survey was conducted online in the United States by The Harris Poll from February 2, 2024 to February 5, 2024 among 1,079 U.S. adults, ages 18+. Figures were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions within the US population. Respondents for this survey were selected from a pool of potential respondents who have agreed to participate in The Harris Poll’s online research.