comScore 2008 Super Bowl Pre-Game Survey Reveals that the Internet Plays an Important Role on Game Day

Viewers Go Online For Stats, Updates and
Super Bowl Ads

RESTON, VA, January 31, 2008 – comScore (NASDAQ: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today released the results of its annual Super Bowl pre-game survey. The survey of 1,522 U.S. Internet users conducted on January 29-30, 2008, revealed several insights into Americans opinions and expectations for Super Bowl XLII.

Game Day Internet Usage

Three-quarters of respondents said that they intended to log onto the Internet on the day of the Super Bowl. Of those who planned to go online, most said they would do so before the game (82 percent) or after the game (61 percent). Nearly three out of ten also indicated they would log on during the game itself (29 percent) or during halftime (28 percent).

Of those who planned to go online on Super Bowl Sunday, the most common reason was to monitor stats and stories related to the game (17 percent of respondents), followed by looking for recipe and party ideas (16 percent). Super Bowl ads will also drive viewers to the Web, with 16 percent of respondents saying they would go online to visit the Web sites of Super Bowl advertisers, while 13 percent said they intended to watch Super Bowl ads or video clips online.

“Viewers have indicated that the Internet will be a more significant part of their Super Bowl experience than last year,” said Andrew Lipsman, senior analyst at comScore. “In particular, there seems to be a greater inclination to access advertisers’ content online, which highlights the increasing importance of a cross-media advertising strategy.”

For many Super Bowl viewers, the TV commercials are as important to the festivities as the game itself. Overall, 49 percent of the respondents said that the game was their favorite part of the Super Bowl festivities, but more than a quarter (26 percent) actually preferred watching the ads. Males, in particular, were significantly more likely to prefer watching the game itself, while females preferred watching the ads. Females were also more likely than males to prefer spending time with friends and family and watching the halftime show.

One of the key trends in Super Bowl ads last year was the inclusion of several customer-created commercials. Brands such as Doritos, Chevy and the NFL allowed customers to submit their own ads, the best of which made it on air. When asked to rate the expected entertainment value of this year’s customer-created ads, 25 percent thought they would be more entertaining than professionally produced ads compared to just 12 percent that thought they would be less entertaining. In fact, when asked which ads from last year were the most memorable, Doritos rated as the second most memorable advertisers after Anheuser-Busch, which featured several humorous spots for Bud and Bud Light.

Respondents were also asked to pick 3 brand advertisers whose commercials they were most looking forward to seeing during this year’s Super Bowl. With 44 percent of respondents choosing both Coca Cola and Pepsi, it’s clear that consumers have a thirst for soft drink advertisers this year. Edgier advertisers also rated among the most anticipated, including Victoria’s Secret (21 percent) and GoDaddy.com (16 percent).

Americans Predict Patriots Victory, Brady MVP Honors

Nearly two-third of respondents (64 percent) predicted that the Patriots will emerge as victors in Super Bowl XLII and cap an historic undefeated season. Despite the Patriots dominant 16-0 regular season, however, it should be noted that more than a third (36 percent) are actually expecting the Giants to pull off the upset.

Respondents were also asked to choose the most likely candidate for MVP from each team. The overwhelming choice among the New England Patriots was regular season MVP quarterback Tom Brady, who garnered 70 percent of the Patriots votes, while record-setting wide receiver Randy Moss grabbed 16 percent of the votes. On the Giants side, quarterback Eli Manning was the top choice with 47 percent of the votes, while his top receiving target, Plaxico Burress, collected 12 percent of the votes.

Last year’s survey respondents accurately predicted that the Indianapolis Colts would win the Super Bowl and that Peyton Manning would bring home MVP honors.

Source: comScore