Frito-Lay US Snack Index Reveals Nearly All Super Bowl LIV Viewers Expect Snacks for the Big Game

As US Snack Leader Preps for Biggest Snacking Day of the Year, Nine out of 10 Americans Say Game Isn’t Complete without Snacks and Dips

As fans prep their platters for the Super Bowl, Frito-Lay announced findings from its latest U.S. Snack Index, a poll focused on Super Bowl snacking habits, and the results are clear – snacking is an essential part of the game day experience as nearly eight in 10 Americans expect snacks, such as chips and pretzels, to be available at a Super Bowl event.

Retail sales data shows Super Bowl Sunday is the biggest day of the year for salty snacks, generating approximately $520 million in one day. Historically, Frito-Lay produces approximately 600 million pounds of snacks in the six weeks leading up to the game – nearly 20 percent of its annual snack production – and more than 67 million pounds of snacks the week of Super Bowl.

Potato chips and tortilla chips are the most sought-after snacks with 70 percent of Super Bowl watchers – up four points from the 2019 U.S. Snack Index – expecting potato chips to be available at a Super Bowl event, followed by tortilla chips (54 percent vs. 52 percent in 2019).

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“The Super Bowl is ingrained in American culture and a top week for the business of snacks,” said Mike Del Pozzo, senior vice president of sales and chief customer officer, Frito-Lay North America. “For Frito-Lay, the Super Bowl is a cross-functional effort involving our sales, operations and marketing teams to ensure consumers have the best Super Bowl experience. Our U.S. Snack Index is just one of the ways we keep a pulse on how consumers are snacking for Super Bowl, and we’re always excited to see the evolving trends around the biggest salty snacks day of the year.”

Key insights from the annual U.S. Snack Index around Super Bowl snacking include:

• Majority of Americans say they will watch the Super Bowl LIV this year and most will watch regardless of who is playing. More than nine in 10 (91 percent) say they watch the Super Bowl no matter which teams hit the field.
• Super Bowl party goers are there for the food and prefer snacks. Nine in 10 (90 percent) say a Super Bowl spread isn’t complete without snacks and dips and nearly eight in 10 (79 percent) prefer snacks like chips and pretzels to be available.
• For the second year in a row, salsa was the favorite dip. The top five favorite dips to pair with Super Bowl snacks include: salsa (16 percent), cheese dips and spreads (13 percent), French onion dip (13 percent), guacamole (12 percent), and buffalo chicken dip (12 percent).
• Most will watch Super Bowl LIV in homes. Nearly nine in 10 (87 percent) say they will host / attend a party or watch at home vs. the 9 percent heading to the bars.  
• Spicy and out-of-the-box flavors are hot with younger consumers. While all generations are most likely to prefer the classic flavors (53 percent), Gen Z and Millennials favor flavors like hot and spicy or more elevated / amplified flavors. Consumers felt the same way in 2019 and echoes Frito-Lay’s prediction as spicy being one of the top snack trends of the year.
• Snacking preferences across the American melting pot vary.
  • The two remaining Super Bowl LIV cities prefer different snacks, with San Francisco choosing potato chips (48 percent) and Kansas City favoring popcorn (32 percent).
  • Miami residents who plan to watch Super Bowl LIV are most likely to snack in the second quarter (27 percent) while those in Kansas City (39 percent) and San Francisco (42 percent) are more likely to snack in the first quarter.

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Given the heightened demand and excitement around Super Bowl, Frito-Lay has increased its marketing investment to support its multitude of new innovations this year. Launching its first-ever portfolio Super Bowl advertising campaign staring NFL legends Deion Sanders, Michael Irvin, Tony Gonzalez and Terry Bradshaw to get consumers “Ready for Crunchtime.” Featuring Lay’s, Doritos and Tostitos, the campaign includes in-store, out-of-home, digital and radio advertising, as well as two 30-second TV spots.

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