More women are watching the Super Bowl

What you probably already know: More women watch the Super Bowl than ever.  Sixty-two percent of women in the United States over age 18 plan to watch this year’s contest between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots, 6% higher than two years ago. Overall, two-thirds of adults will tune in, including 70% of men, while 83% of the Gen Z crowd (ages 18-29) say they’ll watch. Brands will pay $7-$8 million for 30 seconds of advertising in an attempt to capture this audience, with Virginia Tech marketing expert Donna Wertalik noting that “the Super Bowl is no longer just an advertising buy. It is a high-stakes investment in cultural relevance, where storytelling, inclusivity and timing matter as much as reach.”

Why it matters: There’s a reason Super Bowl inventory sold out last September: Viewers are ready to spend. An analysis by consumer research and insights company CivicScience finds that more than a quarter of viewers believe now is a good time for a major purchase. Sixty-five percent plan to buy a beauty product in the next 30 days, while 21% are planning an interior painting project in the next year. More than a third expect their income to increase in the next year, a good thing considering that more Americans (22%) will bet this year, with women driving the jump. Last year, legal betting on the Super Bowl surpassed $1.3 billion.

What it means: Expect some lighthearted ads, as always, but research finds that emotional ads resonate significantly more than humorous ones, at least with Super Bowl viewers. According to industry trade website Marketing Dive, Amazon, Squarespace, Bosch, Google, Lays, Nerds and Poppi are all returning, as is the “He Gets Us” campaign designed to increase attention around Jesus. Many of those brands consider the spend worth it: T-Mobile is returning for the 13th consecutive year, while Squarespace (which enlisted Emma Stone to star) will run a Super Bowl ad for the 12th time. Pringles is back for its ninth consecutive year.

What happens next: It wasn’t long ago when ads debuted during the Super Bowl following a shroud of secrecy. That’s no longer the case, as marketers “tease ads as early as possible and try to keep the effects going indefinitely,” as the Chicago Booth Review (a publication of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business) puts it, adding that Super Bowl ads market “to the algorithms” in the digital age. Wertalik, a professor of practice in marketing at Virginia Tech’s Pamplin School of Business, notes that even the halftime show featuring Bad Bunny (the first Spanish-speaking halftime performer) “signals that multicultural consumers are no longer niche segments. They are the mainstream.” Last year’s game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs set a record, with almost 128 million U.S. viewers. It’s a good bet that this year’s contest will shatter that.