The return of the NFL will boost sports betting
By Maru Entertainment & Technology | August 31, 2022
NFL games return on September 8, and with them will come an uptick in the amount of money being spent on mobile sports betting, promising increased revenues for sportsbooks operating across America.
Maru’s Entertainment and Technology team found that one in four adults were somewhat (11%) or very (14%) likely to place a bet on at least one game in the opening week. This intent is unsurprisingly driven by NFL fans, with 23% saying they’re very likely to bet.
Interest is driven by younger consumers. Two out of five NFL fans aged 18-34 have a strong intention level to bet in week one, with this one in four for fans 35-54 and one in ten for those 55 or older. The figures among younger fans are immense and a sign of why the NFL has seven official sportsbook partners to tap into this market.
The fact that likelihood to bet on any NFL game in the season only increases by a couple of percentage points suggests that the majority of fans intending to gamble consider it as a regular recreational activity, with some treating it as something for special events only, such as the Super Bowl.
Overall, 15% of the total U.S. population 18 or older—approximately 39 million people—say they’ve placed a bet on a mobile sports betting service in 2022 so far. Considering that mobile sports gambling isn’t currently legal or operational in many states, including Texas, Florida, and California, this figure can be anticipated to grow whenever a state legalizes access.
Almost one in three 18-34s say they’ve placed a mobile sports bet this year, which for a fairly new industry, is a tremendous figure. Among NFL fans in the same age group, this rises to almost one in two. Clearly, sports betting is already a key consideration for entertainment spending among young consumers.
For advertisers, there is a potential upside to this. The majority of those placing a bet on an NFL game report that it leads to them paying more attention to it. This is good news for networks and advertisers who spend a fortune on rights fees and marketing spend, respectively to reach the large audiences that the NFL delivers. More attention paid means that in-game advertising and promotional mentions are more likely to be seen by viewers, boosting awareness and potential decision-making on purchases.
Maru also surveyed which of the televised games in the season’s opening week were of most interest to viewers. Overall, NFL fans are most excited about Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ visit to the Dallas Cowboys for Sunday Night Football, but it’s also worth noting that younger fans 18-34 are slightly more eager to see Aaron Rodgers’ Green Bay Packers visit the Minnesota Vikings. Based on the results gathered in our study, expect to see lots of bets and parlays placed on the outcomes of these fixtures.