Super Bowl Spending to Hit $14.3B

This year's Super Bowl is expected to draw a staggering 184 million viewers on Feb. 1, and their spending is likely to follow suit, with each viewer spending an average of $77.88 on food, televisions, athletic wear and decorations, up from $68.27 last year. Overall, total spending is forecasted at $14.3 billion, according to NRF's Super Bowl Spending Survey, conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics.

Of the 75.8 percent planning to watch the game, nearly eight in 10 (79.3 percent) will purchase food and beverages, 10.8 percent will buy team apparel or accessories, and 8.8 percent will purchase new televisions.

And younger consumers plan to flex their spending muscles this year, with those ages 18-24 spending an average of $95.92, and those 25-34 and 35-44 to spend an average of $101.54 and $102.82, respectively.

“With renewed confidence in the economy and the outlook for 2015, consumers are looking forward to some good old-fashioned fun with their friends and family to celebrate the big game,” said NRF President/CEO Matthew Shay. “Retailers will take full advantage of the expected traffic from avid fans by making sure they have adequately invested in décor, party food and accessories and other Super Bowl-related inventory.”

NRF is the world’s largest retail trade association, representing discount and department stores, home goods and specialty stores, Main Street merchants, grocers, wholesalers, chain restaurants and Internet retailers from the United States and more than 45 countries.