Poll shows NFL’s Peacock gamble paid off

Despite the backlash over the Kansas City Chiefs-Miami Dolphins playoff card game only being available on Peacock, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell suggests it was a strategic step to connect with fans shifting towards streaming services, echoing his “fish where the fish are” statement.

While the Peacock experiment drew mixed but primarily adverse reactions, early data suggests potential. A Seton Hall poll of 1,523 U.S. adults — with a margin of error of +/- 3.0 percent — shows that 28% watched the exclusive game, setting a live-streaming record. Notably, half were new subscribers, indicating the strategy may have yielded new users.

That aligns with a firm claiming the Peacock exclusive NFL Wild Card game generated 2.8 million news subscriptions.

One concern surrounding exclusive streaming games was viewers subscribing only for the game and then canceling. Unlike services like Prime Video, which had regular NFL content and other benefits, Peacock lacked such features. However, 69% of viewers and 72% of sports fans who watched the NFL game reported intending to keep their subscriptions for over three months.

While the NFL touted the Peacock-exclusive playoff game as the most-watched livestream ever, skepticism surrounded the reported figures. However, the Seton Hall poll suggests potential for further growth beyond the initial 23 million viewers.

28% of the general population and 42% of sports fans reported watching the Peacock-exclusive NFL game. Among those who didn’t watch, 30% (44% of sports fans) cited principled opposition, 38% (52% of sports fans) indicated cost concerns and 18% (29% of sports fans) faced difficulty finding the game.

“These numbers are stunning and seem to show that many sports fans are still on the sidelines and, importantly, available,” said Daniel Ladik, a marketing professor at the Stillman School and chief methodologist to the Poll. “Three of the biggest barriers to watching this game on a streaming platform – principle, money and logistics (simply being able to find the game) – were not cited as major hurdles for a sizable portion of the general population and, more importantly, sports fans.”

[Seton Hall]