Via Morning Consult:
Heading into Super Bowl LIV this Sunday, global data intelligence company Morning Consult has the latest insights on the big game, including how the reputation of the National Football League (NFL) is still recovering following its anthem-kneeling controversy, the reaction to political ads airing during the game, and the brands overperforming with different NFL fanbases.
NFL Reputation Still Recovering Post-Anthem Kneeling Controversy
Almost two and a half years after President Donald Trump chastised NFL players for kneeling during the national anthem, the NFL’s reputation – particularly among Republicans – is still recovering. Heading into Sunday’s game, the league’s net favorability among U.S. adults is at its highest point since before the 2017 season.
The NFL’s net favorability – the share of the population with positive opinions about the league minus the share with negative opinions about it – declined across the board during the 2017 season, but the drop was most significant among those identifying as Republicans (-67 points). Now, Republicans have warmed back up to the league, and this month, the share of Republicans with a favorable view of the NFL is +32 points greater than the share with an unfavorable view of the league, a high-water mark in the league’s recovery within the GOP. Read more.
Americans Say Super Bowl is Inappropriate Platform for Campaign Ads
While both Trump and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg are confirmed to run national 2020 presidential campaign ads in this Sunday’s game, the majority of Americans would prefer they didn’t, according to a new Morning Consult survey conducted for The Wall Street Journal’s CMO Today. 63% believe the Super Bowl is an inappropriate platform for political ads from candidates. This sentiment is bipartisan, with opposition from Trump voters (63%) and Republicans (62%) as well as Democrats (56%).
When it comes to advertisers making political statements (like Audi’s 2019 ad on equal pay), less Americans think it’s inappropriate (60%) compared to last year (66%). But do the ads resonate? More than two-thirds of the American public (68%) say they ignore both political ads and ads making political statements during entertainment events like the Super Bowl. And while the two parties agree on the game being an inappropriate platform for political ads, they’re planning to watch: 48% of Democrats are “very likely” to watch the game, compared with 47% of Republicans. Independents are slightly less likely to watch (37%).
RITZ Crackers, Budweiser, Jack Daniels Among Top NFL Fan Brands
From beer and chips to apparel and fast food, Morning Consult’s Brand Intelligence data highlights what brands perform best with NFL fans. Heineken, Samuel Adams Beer and Columbia Sportswear all overperform among NFL fans relative to the general population. Morning Consult’s consumer insights are even more layered, revealing the favorite beer and chips of NFL fans by team. For example, Budweiser and Doritos are the top beer and chips for fans of the Kansas City Chiefs, while San Francisco 49ers fans favor Budweiser and Lay’s.
