Survey: Super Bowl viewers expected to spend $129 on average
While viewership for the Super Bowl is expected to rise this year, spending for the big game may decrease.
According to LendingTree’s 2026 Super Bowl Spending Report, 80% of Americans say they plan to watch the Super Bowl (Sunday, Feb. 8) this year, up from 75% last year. However, those viewers expect to spend an average of $129 on food & beverage, apparel, betting and more, down from $142 last year.
About one-in-five (21%) Super Bowl viewers say they plan to spend less than last year, while 19% expect to spend more and 61% expect to spend the same. Among those who plan to watch, the most popular purchases include food and beverages (71%), clothing or accessories (20%) and streaming subscriptions (18%).
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Men ($168) expect to spend nearly twice as much as women ($87) on Super Bowl festivities, according to the survey. Those earning less than $30,000 a year (27%), Gen Xers ages 46 to 61 (24%) and women (24%) are among the most likely to say they’re reducing their spending this year. By contrast, Gen Zers (36%), parents of young kids (34%) and six-figure earners (27%) are the most likely to say they’ll spend more.
Additional insights from the LendingTree survey include the following:
•More than half of Super Bowl viewers (54%) plan to place a bet this year, an increase from last year’s 41%. Most bettors (69%) expect to spend less than $100.
•Only 49% of viewers say football is their primary reason for watching the Super Bowl. Baby boomers (61%) and men (60%) are the most likely to say so. The other most common motivations include entertainment such as the halftime show (17%) and commercials (14%), along with spending time with family (11%). Older Americans are more likely than their younger counterparts to watch the game for the commercials (19% of Gen Xers say so, versus just 7% of Gen Zers).
•While LendingTree did not mention this year’s halftime performer (Bad Bunny) by name, 17% say this year’s halftime performer makes them more likely to watch, while 10% say they plan to avoid watching because of the performer. Meanwhile, 51% say the performer has no impact on their decision, and 22% say they don’t know who is scheduled to perform.
LendingTree commissioned QuestionPro to conduct an online survey of 2,000 U.S. consumers ages 18 to 80 on Jan. 2, 2026. The survey can be found here.
