NFL Viewers Are Transforming Game Day into an Interactive, Social, and Shopping Experience

The second screen has become just as important as the TV screen.

The 2025 NFL Season is Here: How Will Sports Fans Tune in?

Horowitz Research, A Division of M/A/R/C® Research

Real-time engagement is turning sports viewers into active participants and consumers.

IRVING, TX, UNITED STATES, September 17, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- As NFL season dominates screens across the U.S., many fans are doing more than just watching, they’re actively shaping the game-day experience. From shopping in real time to engaging across multiple platforms, today’s NFL audience is blending technology and interactivity to redefine what it means to be a fan.

The second screen has become just as important as the TV screen. Roughly two-thirds of total NFL viewers (63%), and especially multicultural NFL viewers (66%), engage with live social media content by viewing real-time posts or sharing reactions related to a show they are watching, according to Horowitz Research’s latest annual report, State of Media, Entertainment and Tech: Viewing Behaviors 2025. At the same time, multi-angle options such as alternate views, player perspectives, and drone footage are gaining popularity among nearly half (44%) of multicultural NFL viewers, compared to 39% of total NFL viewers.

Real-time engagement is turning sports viewers into active participants and consumers. About half (51%) of total NFL viewers, and nearly as many multicultural NFL viewers (48%), shop for sports merchandise while watching live games. Meanwhile, gaming is becoming a central part of the viewing experience, with nearly half (48%) of multicultural NFL viewers and 43% of total NFL viewers engaging with TV content through video games or other interactive gaming features related to live sports events.

Sports programming has always been an important acquisition and retention tool for traditional media platforms (cable, satellite, and broadcast). However, even sports fans are heavily engaged in streaming. Horowitz data show that NFL viewers, and especially multicultural NFL viewers, over-index on using all types of streaming services.

“As NFL season goes into full swing, we are excited to see how fans’ behaviors around TV and advertising consumption are evolving,” notes Adriana Waterston, Executive Vice President and Insights & Strategy Lead for Horowitz Research, a division of M/A/R/C Research. “Major investments in sports rights by major streamers over the past few years are changing the game when it comes to where fans will watch. What we are keeping close tabs on is how new interactive advertising, and shopping capabilities are transforming the NFL experience altogether.”

The State of Media, Entertainment & Tech: Viewing Behaviors 2025 study explores viewing behaviors in the complex media landscape. We examine share of viewing per platform, the devices they’re watching on, the kind of content they’re consuming, and which services they feel do the best job at delivering the content they seek. The survey was conducted in March 2025 among 2,000 consumers 18+ who are decision makers about subscription services in their home. Data have been weighted to ensure results are representative of the overall U.S. population. The report is available in total market, FOCUS Latinx, FOCUS Black, and FOCUS Asian editions.

CONTACT

For more information about the State of Media, Entertainment & Tech: Viewing Behaviors 2025 report, visit: https://www.horowitzresearch.com/syndicated-research/state-of-media-viewing/. To purchase the report, schedule an interview with an analyst, or to request specific data, please contact Adriana Waterston: adrianaw@horowitzresearch.com.

ABOUT HOROWITZ RESEARCH, A DIVISION OF M/A/R/C^® RESEARCH

Horowitz Research helps content providers identify programming and advertising opportunities for their customers and potential customers to help drive acquisition and retention. We provide curated consumer research services to optimize your go-to-market strategies, inform programming decisions, and understand your target audiences’ needs, attitudes, and behaviors around media and tech consumption, subscriptions, and plans for the future. We also offer a suite of syndicated studies with the latest data on how the media industry is evolving. For more information, visit www.horowitzresearch.com.

Tasha Mitchell
Horowitz Research, A Division of M/A/R/C Research
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