Men, Blacks, Middle-Aged Like Football

October 13, 2010

Broken down demographically, men, blacks and adults 34-64 are most apt to like football, according to new Harris Poll results.

Men Have Highest Rate of Liking Football
Overall, survey results indicate 53% of US adults 18 and older like football. Divided by gender, it is not too surprising that 66% of men like football compared to only 41% of women.

harris-football-who-follows-oct-2010.JPG

However, other demographic disparities exist. For example, 64% of blacks like football, compared to 53% of whites and 51% of Hispanics. Agewise, 56% of both Gen Xers (34-45) and Baby Boomers (46-64) like football, placing them ahead of Echo Boomers (18-33) and Matures (65 and up), with 49% of both of those age groups liking football.

Competition Grabs Interest
Competition was the clear winner among attributes of football fans like, with 57% of overall fans citing competition and rivalries. This attribute led every demographic, and was especially popular with Matures (70%).

harris-football-attributes-oct-2010.JPG

Advertisers should keep in mind that TV commercials scored low with every age group. Overall 7% of fans like TV commercials aired during broadcasts, with only food and drink consumed during games (6%) and other (5%) scoring lower.

A few interesting gender differences popped up. Surprisingly, a slightly higher percentage of women (58%) than men (57%) like competition and rivalries. However, 36% of men like the athletic display, compared to 27% of women, while 30% of women and 23% of men like gathering with friends to watch games.

Cowboys are America’s Team
Survey results show the Dallas Cowboys nickname of “America’s Team” to be justified, as they are ranked number one by football fans asked to name their favorite two teams. Interestingly, all five top-ranked teams are located in the Midwest or South, with the Indianpolis Colts, Green Bay Packers, Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints (2010 Super Bowl champions) rounding out the list.

harris-football-favorite-team-oct-2010.JPG

NFL Team Values Fall 2%
NFL team values fell 2% last season to an average of $1.02 billion, according to analysis from Forbes Magazine. This marks the first decline in average NFL team value since Forbes began tracking the league’s finances in 1998, with 21 of the league’s 32 teams seeing their worths drop and another seven maintaining flat value.

Forbes analysis indicates team values slipped because the bad economy has reduced demand, and there is less non-broadcasting revenue for many teams.

About the Data:This Harris Poll of 2,620 adults surveyed online between September 14 and 20, 2010 was conducted by Harris Interactive.

45th Parallel Design Ad

Explore More Charts.

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This