Football Fans Are Spending A Ton Of Money On Football-Related Expenses

One look at television ratings will tell you just how much Americans love watching and consuming anything and everything football. And, according to new data from Experian, people are spending quite a bit of money on football-related expenses this fall.

There are a lot of different ways to spend money on football-related expenses. Of course, one of those ways is tickets to attend a college or NFL game. And, those tickets, especially to NFL games and select college games, can get pretty pricey, with a ticket often coming in at over $100

And, if you’re going to spend money on tickets, you’re probably going to buy some tailgate food, something the Experian report also addresses. Even if you’re not going at the stadium, nobody watches football without eating snacks on their couch

And, it can be expensive to even watch the games, with NFL Sunday Ticket coming it at $349-489.

The Average Football Fan Is Spending Hundreds Of Dollars On Football-Related Expenses

Just how much money is the average football fan spending on football-related expenses? Probably more than you think. According to the survey, the average fan will spend $743 this year on football-related expenses. And, 29% of those surveyed anticipate spending $1000 or more this year on football.

That’s a considerable amount of money spent on football. But, football-related expenses add up fast when you consider the price of tickets, food, gasoline, etc.

Inflation Is HItting Football Fans Hard

Inflation is effecting everyone’s wallets in the developed world right now, and that’s carrying over to spending habits by football fans. Two-thirds of those surveyed said they would watch more games at home this year as opposed to buying tickets to attend the games. Just 14% said that inflation will not impact their football-related spending this year.

This makes sense. With the price of staples like food, gas, and rent having increased significantly over the last few years, that leaves less money for discretionary purchases like football tickets.

A Surprisingly High Percentage Of People Are Willing To Go Into Debt To Pay For Football Expenses

According to the survey, 15% of those surveyed said they’re willing to go into debt due to football-related spending. That number goes to 22% when it’s just those aged 22-34. 14% say they have taken on debt in the past for football-related expenses.

This may seem crazy to a lot of people, but if the team a fan loves makes the Super Bowl or the National Championship Game, many will view that as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Plenty Of People Know They Will Overspend

20% of those surveyed have already conceded that they will probably spend more money than they should on football season this year, compared to 78% that say they will spend the right amount.

I think the actual number would be higher, because when people get swept up in excitement, they’re more likely to make impulse decisions and blow by their budget for football-related expenditures.

Planning For Football-Related Spending Is Year-Round For Some

43% say they have a planned budget for football-related spending, and a whopping 36% say they save money year-round for football season. Only 30% said neither of those statements applied to them.

Most of the time, people are saving money for things like a down payment on a house or a car, or an extravagant vacation. But, for football fans, saving money year round to enjoy football season to the fullest extent is worth doing.