Touchdown! Mobile app usage ramps up on Super Bowl Sunday 2023
Prashansa Shrestha, Content Writer, Adjust, Feb 22, 2023.
Super Bowl LVII was the third most-watched television event in history, with a record-breaking 113 million viewers tuning in to watch Kansas City Chiefs' close a 38-35 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. Additionally, the streaming broadcast of this year's Super Bowl reached new heights with an average of 7 million viewers per minute—an increase of 18% over last year’s 6 million. Rihanna's halftime show averaged 118.7 million viewers, making it the second-most watched in Super Bowl history, after Katy Perry's 2015 performance that raked in 121 million viewers.
Along with watching the big game, many viewers want to connect online and enhance their experience with mobile apps. Over the last few years, mobile app usage has surged during sporting events such as the FIFA world cup and the Olympics, and the Super Bowl was no different. We've analyzed how streaming, food delivery, shopping, and sports-related apps performed on Super Bowl Sunday to help mobile marketers plan their next game-day strategies for reaching and engaging second-screening audiences.
Streaming app installs hike up
More and more people are watching the Super Bowl online or through streaming services. According to Adjust data, streaming app installs in the U.S. were up 3% YoY on Super Bowl Sunday. Installs were also 17% above the 2022 average. This presents brands that are hesitant to pay a premium for traditional TV ad spots the opportunity to take advantage of connected TV and YouTube ads.
Takeout for the win on Super Bowl Sunday
The Super Bowl is a cultural phenomenon known for its food and drink traditions. Americans gather with friends and family to watch the game and enjoy popular snacks such as pizza, chicken wings, nachos, and beer. Many restaurants offer discounts for the big game, often with free delivery. This Super Bowl Sunday, food delivery app installs in the U.S. saw YoY growth of 18% — sessions climbed 17%. Users also spent a longer time in-app, averaging at 22.7 minutes, 1.66 minutes more than the average session length last year.
Shoppers score great deals
The Super Bowl may not be typically a big day for retailers, but it is still an excellent time to offer discounts and promotions on items that can help people host an entertaining watch party. Plus, shoppers are continuing to look for the best deals due to the economic downturn. Our data shows that installs of shopping apps grew by an impressive 41% YoY on Super Bowl Sunday and were 25% higher than the 2022 average. During this Super Bowl, Americans spent an average of 9.49 minutes on shopping apps, 0.66 minutes longer than last year. It is also likely that users spent more time in-app searching for last-minute deals for Valentine's day.
Sports betting takes off
This was the first Super Bowl played in a state where sports betting is legal, and it was one of the most bet-on sporting events in U.S. history. During the Super Bowl weekend, there were over 100 million sports-betting transactions, an increase of 25% over last year. Installs of sports betting apps increased by 2% YoY on Super Bowl Sunday and app sessions were 3% above the 2022 average. Gamblers put in more time to place their bets, spending an average of 29.48 minutes, 4.75 minutes more than last year.
Football fans continue the big game on mobile
We've seen a continued interest in sports games on mobile during major sporting events, and it was the case this Super Bowl as well. Installs for sports games in the U.S. saw a notable YoY boost of 16% on Super Bowl Sunday. Gamers also played slightly longer this year, jumping from 21.47 minutes to 22.12 minutes.
Users keep up with the scores on sports news apps
Sports news apps are crucial for sports fans and gamblers to keep up with the scores and latest news. Just like the increase seen for betting apps, sports news app usage also spiked. Installs for sports news apps increased by 19% YoY, and sessions rose by a remarkable 88% YoY. Super Bowl fans also spent more time using sports news apps overall on the day, with an average session length of 10.4 minutes, up by 1.64 minutes compared to last year.
Mobile apps have become integral to major live sporting events such as the Super Bowl. This is a prime time for mobile marketers to attract new users, engage existing ones, and maximize revenue. The first step is to prepare your marketing campaigns well ahead of the event to stand out from the crowd, so make sure you've marked the most important sporting events on your calendar. Then, it's crucial to segment your audience based on their preferences and send out personalized messages at the right time. You can offer promo codes to encourage more downloads and increase engagement. It's also essential to measure your app's performance before, during, and after sporting events to see your campaign's success.
The rest of 2023 is also set to be full of fun and exciting major global sporting events, and we're excited to continue keeping a close eye on how mobile apps perform during the different games.
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