1 in 3 Americans more likely to watch football with analysis by Tom Brady at FOX Sports

Fox Sports’s deal with Tom Brady looks to be a major plus for the broadcasting company, according to data from a recent Harris Poll study conducted on behalf of Front Office Sports. The deal, reportedly worth $375 million, will have Brady join Fox Sports as its lead football analyst following his retirement from football.    

Fox Sports signing Brady as an analyst has improved many NFL fans’ opinions of the company, and will make a notable sum of U.S. adults likely to watch games.  

Two in five (37%) NFL fans have a better opinion of Fox Sports following its broadcast agreement with Tom Brady (compared to 28% of all U.S. adults). Additionally, 32% of all U.S. adults (and 41% of NFL fans) would be at least somewhat more likely to watch an NFL game with analysis led by Tom Brady. 

That said, opinion is split on the worth of the agreement between Fox Sports and Tom Brady in comparison to its reported value ($375 million over 10 years). 

Two in ten (19%) NFL fans think the deal is worth more than its reported value, and 27% think it’s worth less. A third (36%) of NFL fans think the deal is worth about the same as its reported value, and 18% are not at all sure. 

Time will tell if Brady can translate his on-field success to his new position behind the desk. Many NFL fans are already looking to tune into Fox Sports to see if Brady can excel in a broadcast role. Fox Sports is betting on it, and their gamble is looking like it will pay off.

Methodology: 

This survey was conducted online by The Harris Poll between May 13-16, 2022 among 1,079 US adults (aged 18 and older). Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region, household income, and propensity to be online are weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in 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. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within +/- 4.0 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. For more information, please contact Madelyn Franz, or Andrew Laningham.