Speed matters when measuring recall. By fielding immediately after the broadcast, we were able to see what truly stuck with audiences, and just as importantly, what didn’t, while the experience was still fresh. Those surveyed? We found that around 67% of audiences 18+ had tuned into the Super Bowl, highlighting what a unique event it is, in today’s fractured media landscape.

While the Super Bowl remains one of the most valuable advertising stages of the year, our findings highlight a growing challenge for advertisers: earning attention and memory in a fragmented, multitasking environment.

How Viewers Experienced the Super Bowl

Traditional television still led overall, with 53% watching via cable or satellite. However, streaming now represents a substantial share of Super Bowl viewing.

• 20% watched on Peacock
• 24% streamed via the NBC Sports App, YouTube TV, or their cable provider’s streaming app

The generational divide was clear. Among adults 18 to 34, only 42% watched on traditional TV, while 53% streamed the game. Among viewers 55 and older, 67% watched on TV and 31% streamed.

Where viewers watched also varied by age. Overall, 73% watched at home, 15% attended a party, and just 3% watched at a bar or restaurant. But among 18 to 34-year-olds, 26% watched at a party, compared to only 9% of viewers 55 and older.

Despite platform shifts, engagement with the game itself remained strong. Sixty percent watched the entire game from start to finish, and another 29% watched most of it. In total, nearly nine in ten viewers stayed with the broadcast for the majority of the game.

Advertising Recall: What Broke Through and What Didn’t

When viewers were asked, in an open-ended format, to recall Super Bowl ads they remembered seeing, overall brand recall was limited, even among this highly engaged audience surveyed within hours of the game ending.

Nearly a quarter of viewers (24%) were unable to recall a specific brand at all, instead describing a commercial without naming the advertiser. Another 12% explicitly said they did not remember any ads or had forgotten them entirely.

Among named brands, Budweiser led recall at 21% overall. However, recall varied sharply by age. While 34% of viewers 55 and older remembered Budweiser, only 18% of adults 18 to 34 did so, highlighting a strong generational skew.

Dunkin’ followed at 14% overall, performing slightly stronger among middle and older age groups than among younger viewers.

Pepsi Zero Sugar ranked next at 10% recall, standing out as one of the few ads that aligned both with strong creative buzz and measurable audience memory.

Other major advertisers saw much lower recall. Pringles registered at 8%, State Farm at 6%, Bud Light at 4%, and T-Mobile at 4%.

One especially telling result was the role of celebrity-driven advertising. Six percent of viewers could recall a celebrity from a commercial but were unable to name the brand or product associated with them, reinforcing that star power captured attention without consistently anchoring brand memory.

Taken together, the data underscores a core challenge of modern advertising: even on the biggest media stage of the year, many ads struggle to create clear, lasting brand associations.

Celebrity Recognition Without Brand Recall

One of the most consistent patterns in the open-ended responses was celebrity recall without brand recall.

Many viewers could name a celebrity they remembered seeing in a commercial, sometimes multiple celebrities, but could not connect that memory to the sponsoring brand or product. In these cases, responses included only the celebrity’s name, with no associated advertiser.

This suggests that while celebrities may capture attention in the moment, they do not automatically translate into brand memory, particularly in a cluttered advertising environment.

For advertisers, this distinction matters. Attention alone is not enough if the brand itself fails to anchor that attention.

Favorite Ads: Few Clear Winners

When viewers were asked to name their single favorite ad, results reinforced how difficult it is to stand out.

Budweiser ranked first at 18%, but that preference was heavily driven by viewers 55 and older. Only 7% of adults 18 to 34 named Budweiser as their favorite, compared to 32% of the 55+ audience.

Seventeen percent of viewers could not name a favorite ad at all.

Dunkin’ followed at 10%, again reflecting familiarity and celebrity appeal.

Even the most liked ads failed to resonate universally, underscoring the challenge of creating creative that works across generations.

The Role of Attention and Multitasking

A major factor shaping recall is divided attention.

More than half of viewers (51%) reported using social media while watching the game. Among adults 18 to 34, that figure rose to 79%. For viewers 35 to 54, it was 52%, and for viewers 55 and older, just 21%.

Instagram and TikTok dominated among younger viewers, with 56% and 46% respectively. Facebook and Instagram led overall usage.

One notable surprise was X. Despite its reputation as a real-time sports conversation platform, only 10% of viewers reported using X while watching the Super Bowl.

For advertisers investing millions in a single airing, this context matters. Ads are competing not just with other commercials, but with entirely separate screens and platforms, particularly among younger audiences.

Halftime: A Different Advertising Story

Bad Bunny’s halftime performance drew strong engagement overall, with 56% watching the entire show and another 23% watching parts of it. But again, age shaped behavior.

Sixty-nine percent of adults 18 to 34 watched the full performance, compared to 39% of viewers 55 and older. Adults 35 to 54 tracked much closer to the younger audience in engagement.

When asked to name the sponsor of the halftime show, 27% correctly recalled Apple Music. Among adults 18 to 34, recall climbed to 34%.

While 27% may appear modest, it was the strongest unaided brand recall measured in the entire study, outperforming all individual Super Bowl advertisers.

In a night marked by limited ad recall, halftime sponsorship emerged as the most effective branding moment, particularly among younger viewers who otherwise showed the weakest ad memory.

What This Means for Media and Advertisers

The Super Bowl remains a powerful cultural event, but the rules of attention have changed.

• Streaming is now central, not secondary
  • Younger viewers are heavily multitasking
  • Celebrity alone does not guarantee brand recall
  • Creative acclaim does not equal audience memory
  • Integrated brand moments may outperform traditional spots

For media companies, agencies, and brands, the takeaway is not that Super Bowl advertising no longer works. It is that success depends on clarity, brand linkage, and understanding how audiences actually experience the event.

Real-time research helps move the conversation from assumptions to evidence, and from creative buzz to measurable impact.

Results are based on a sample of 512 Super Bowl viewers and have a margin of error of approximately ±3.7 percentage points at the 90% confidence level.

The post Super Bowl 2026: What 500+ Viewers Told Us About Ads, Streaming, and Attention in Real Time appeared first on Crowd React Media.

Marketing Millennials recently nailed this challenge in their newsletter with an insight that every broadcast sales professional should understand:

Credit: Marketing Millenials newsletter

Why This Matters for Radio & TV Sales

This isn’t just a TV problem; it’s a radio reality too. Here’s what’s happening:

A listener hears your client’s radio spot during their morning commute on Tuesday. They think, “I should check that out.” On Friday, they Google the business. The following week, they convert. Google gets the credit. Your radio campaign? Invisible in the attribution model.

The truth? Linear media (both radio and TV) often does the heavy lifting of awareness and consideration. Digital gets the assist at the bottom of the funnel and takes home the MVP trophy.

The Uphill Climb (And How to Make It Easier)

Let’s be honest about what we’re up against: Digital advertising has built-in attribution that makes CMOs and marketing directors feel safe. They can see clicks, track conversions, and show their boss a tidy spreadsheet. That’s powerful.

But here’s the opportunity: Understanding this dynamic makes you a better partner to your clients.

Turning Knowledge Into Sales Success

1. Set Expectations Upfront Don’t let clients be surprised when they see a spike in branded search or direct traffic after your campaign launches. Tell them in the proposal: “You’ll likely see increased website traffic, Google searches for your brand, and social media engagement. That’s us working.”
2. Use the Right Metrics Work with your clients to establish KPIs that capture radio and TV’s real impact:

• Branded search volume
• Website traffic patterns (especially after ad flights)
• Store visits during campaign periods
• Phone call tracking with unique numbers
• Promo code redemptions

3. Prove Your Impact with Brand Lift Studies This is where research becomes your competitive advantage. Brand Lift Studies give you the attribution story that digital can’t tell.

Pre/Post Studies measure your audience before and after campaign exposure, tracking shifts in:

• Brand awareness and recall
• Message association
• Purchase intent
• Brand perception

Forced Exposure Studies isolate your campaign’s impact by exposing a test group to your creative and comparing their responses to a control group. This proves causation, not just correlation.

These studies answer the exact question that Marketing Millennials raised: “Did that conversion happen BECAUSE of your ad, or was it going to happen anyway?” When you can show a client that brand awareness jumped 23% or purchase intent increased 31% directly because of their radio or TV campaign, you’re no longer guessing—you’re proving.

4. Educate on the Customer Journey Help clients understand that the path to purchase isn’t linear. Share frameworks about how broadcast media excels at building awareness and consideration (your traditional strong point) while also driving action. You’re not competing with digital; you’re making digital perform better.

The Bottom Line

Yes, you’re fighting an uphill battle against instant attribution. But you’re armed with something digital often lacks: the ability to reach people in high-attention moments, build genuine brand awareness, and create emotional connections that stick.

At Crowd React Media, we help radio and TV stations prove their impact through research that captures the full picture, not just the last click. Because the best partnerships are built on understanding the whole truth, not just the easiest-to-measure truth.

Your campaigns are working. Let’s make sure you, and your clients, get the credit you deserve.

The post The Attribution Advantage: How Radio & TV Sales Teams Can Win the Credit Game appeared first on Crowd React Media.

The consumer is now in charge of what they want and how they want their content produced and delivered. Here is where things are as 2026 begins:

• Content Distribution – People have more content platforms available than ever before. The old school platforms of television, radio and newspapers are fighting for their survival. Most of my broadcast career has been spent on the radio. No matter what platform, the choices on how to receive and produce content are in an ongoing state of change.
• Content Saturation – This is real, there are so many sources to find content that matters to an individual person. We live in a world of on-demand programming. If there is something you are looking for it is easily accessible wherever you are and whenever you want to consume it.
• Competition – In the past it was simple to know what you are up against. Today, it is much more complicated. There are so many places consumers can get the content they are looking for.

With all that in mind, it is critical to have a strategy for whatever platform you are working on. How many times have you heard the phrase “we have always done it this way”?

Over the years, I have seen resistance from many people to change. During my journey, I was fortunate to work in positions where change was embraced and even mandated. Every year, there are more options for consumers to find what they are looking for, much of this driven by technology and new platforms. There was once a world with no internet, no cellphones, no Facebook, no YouTube, and no social media.

This is where developing a smart, strategic action plan comes into play. To move forward in an ever-changing environment, it is important to take a step back and ask yourself, “What am I going to stop doing?” If you are going to adjust your content strategy, there are certain aspects from the past you need to consider stopping so you can update your priorities. There is only so much time in a day, and if you are going to add innovative ideas, it is imperative to stop certain practices so you can move things in a new direction.

The beginning of the year is a good time to build a plan for reviewing strategies and evaluating what you should stop doing, so you have time to establish new approaches that support your priorities and improve performance.

Action Steps

• Put together a group of folks that represent the core values of your organization. Outline the goal of reviewing what works and what does not work.
• Identify all the competitors that you need to have a strategy for.
• Discuss practices/strategies that are no longer effective in driving success.
• Set a deadline for determining whether the items everyone agrees upon are no longer relevant.
• Once the group agrees, the next step is to determine several new priorities that everyone feels they can have an influence over.
• Set up planning sessions to explore the best strategies in moving forward.
• Determine new priorities for the year ahead.

The media world is evolving at an accelerated pace. With more platforms for content, understanding what is expected, and how content is delivered, is increasingly important. This is why a complete review of the process makes sense. It allows us to better understand what consumers want in terms of the programming they seek and which platforms they prefer for receiving content. Setting a timeline is also an important part of the process to ensure time is not wasted.

Taking time early in the year to step back and review processes is a smart use of time.

The post 2026 – What will you STOP doing? appeared first on Crowd React Media.

“Each year, our State of Media report reveals how audiences engage with content across platforms. In 2025, one story stands out above all others: sports audiences continue to defy the broader trends shaping the media landscape,” said Sean Bos, Co-Founder of Crowd React Media and VP of Research at Harker Bos Group. “Nearly six in ten sports fans now consume sports-related content every single day, a sharp and statistically significant lift over recent years. This unwavering commitment makes sports one of the most reliable forces driving audience loyalty, advertiser investment, and even the survival of entire platforms.”

Key Takeaways from the Report

Radio

• AM/FM Radio Remains the King of Sports Audio
  • 59% of sports audio listeners tune via AM/FM compared to just 36% for podcasts.
  • Advertisers continue to undervalue radio’s reach, even as it delivers larger audiences at lower costs.
  • Local sports talk remains the money-maker with loyal, engaged listeners.

Television

• Sports Content Is Propping Up Cable
  • Cable use among sports fans grew to 51% in 2025, reversing years of decline.
  • Cable retains older audiences, while streaming frustrates with higher costs and fragmented rights.
  • ESPN cable viewership dropped 15 points year-over-year, though ESPN.com remains the top sports site (70%).
• The Streaming Ecosystem Is in Flux — and ESPN’s Transition Is Risky
  • ESPN’s plan to launch Select and Unlimited streaming tiers risks alienating older viewers.
  • ESPN+ (52%) trails ESPN cable (61%), and confusion over subscriptions may slow adoption.
  • Skyrocketing rights costs and profitability pressures remain unresolved.
• Live Games Still Rule — But TV Is the Bedrock
  • 53% of fans prefer watching live games above all else; another 35% split between live and analysis.
  • 55% attended a live event in the past 6 months — but television remains the foundation of fandom.
  • The living room couch continues to be the “best seat in the house.”

Digital & Social

• Sports Fans Are a High-Usage, High-Conversion Audience
  • 28% consume 4+ hours of sports content daily; 68% at least 2 hours.
  • 68% actively post or comment, and 94% regularly read sports news.
  • Engagement has not faded post-pandemic, unlike general media consumption.
• Social Is a Core Arena for Fandom
  • YouTube dominates highlights (87%), followed by Facebook (69%) and Instagram (62%).
  • Twitter/X declined from 55% in 2022 to 41% in 2025, while TikTok surged to 51%.
  • Sports fans rival political and pop culture fandoms in content creation and commentary.
• Digital Aggregators Outpace Legacy Brands
  • Bleacher Report (29%) outdraws Sports Illustrated (23%), Yahoo Sports (23%), and The Athletic (9%).
  • Legacy brands no longer guarantee digital dominance.
  • Aggregators and newer platforms are now central to sports news consumption.

Sports & Fan Behavior

• Football Is the Center of Gravity in U.S. Sports
  • 81% of fans follow football, compared to 63% for basketball and 54% for baseball.
  • Football dominates cultural identity, attention, and advertiser spend.
  • Even non-fans typically watch the Super Bowl, underscoring its universal reach.
• No Offseason: Fans Stay Engaged Year-Round
  • 87% follow their sport through season and playoffs (up from 77% in 2022).
  • 72% track trades, deals, and speculation in the offseason.
  • 71% say following their sport or team is part of daily life.

Betting & Fantasy

• Sports Betting and Fantasy Plateau at High Levels
  • 58% of sports fans have bet on sports; 70% of past bettors remain active.
  • Growth has plateaued, with legalization — not demand — as the main limiter.
  • FanDuel (56%) and DraftKings (51%) dominate, while ESPN BET is rising at 25%.

Access the Full Report

• Access Link: https://crowdreactmedia.com/state-of-sports-media-2025/

About Crowd React Media

Crowd React Media, a division of Harker Bos Group, is a leading provider of audience and advertising research across radio, TV, podcasts, and digital platforms. Founded as Harker Bos Group in 1989, Crowd React Media continues its legacy of helping media companies and brands grow through actionable, strategic insights.

For media inquiries, advance access to upcoming content, or interview requests:

Katie Miller
Co-Founder, Crowd React Media & VP, Client Relations, Harker Bos Group
Crowd React Media & Harker Bos Group
Email: katie@crowdreactmedia.com

The post [PRESS RELEASE] Crowd React Media Releases Fourth Annual State of Sports Media 2025 Report appeared first on Crowd React Media.

…And If you haven’t already downloaded our State of Spanish Language Media 2025 Report we would advise you to do so now!

Click on the links below to watch each video.

How Important Is Soccer to Spanish-Language Audiences?
Katie and Scott discuss soccer being second-fiddle to American Football among Spanish-Language audiences in the US.

How Sports Keep Spanish-Language Audiences Plugged In
Scott talks about how the best personalities and stars of sports media have sort of a grounding effect on audiences in a way they feel like they are part of a larger community.

Building the Female Spanish-Language Sports Audience
Scott and Katie discuss the challenges facing Spanish-Language sports media in developing a female audience. Scott goes on to highlight some potential avenues for growth.

Serving Gen Z Streamers and OTA Loyalists — Is It Possible?
Scott and Katie discuss catering to both your digital and OTA audiences while keeping an eye towards innovation.  You basically need entirely different models that account for the divergent attributes of the demographics that seek either sort of media content.

The Toughest Challenges in Building for Both Streaming & OTA
Scott and Katie explore how to build both a streaming and OTA business model while adapting to evolving market pressures.  Hint: Throw the ‘we’ve always done it this way’ mentality out the window.

How Advertisers Can Tap Into Spanish-Language Sports Passion —The Smart Way

Katie and Scott talk about how to harness the passion of Spanish-Language sports audiences.  It’s all about one-on-one relationship.  You’re not making a pitch at an audience.  You’re having a conversation with individual members of the audience.

Where Spanish-Language Sports Coverage Is Headed by 2030
Scott and Katie discuss the future of Spanish-Language sports coverage. It’s down to broadcasters to tell the stories that people want to hear.  The upcoming World Cup might drive viewership towards soccer more generally.

We hope you enjoyed this quick series as this entire project has been a delight in putting together.

Whether you’re creating content, managing talent, or just trying to keep up with a rapidly changing landscape, these short interviews are a great starting point.

If you’d like to learn more about the State of Spanish Language Media 2025 or how we’re helping media brands navigate what’s next, get in touch or check out the full report.

– Sean Bos
Cofounder, Crowd React Media

The post A 7-Part Interview Series with Scott Masteller on our Findings from the State of Spanish Language Media 2025 Report appeared first on Crowd React Media.

This year’s study offers a rare, in-depth look at how Spanish-speaking Hispanic audiences in the U.S. are engaging with radio, streaming TV, podcasts, social media, music streaming, and more. Drawing from a nationally representative sample of Spanish-dominant and bilingual Hispanic adults, it reveals where audiences are most active, what content they trust, and which platforms are winning their time and attention.

Whether you’re a radio station, TV network, podcaster, content creator, or advertiser, you’ll find actionable insights to help you connect more effectively with this growing and influential audience.

Last year’s report set the stage. This year, we’ve expanded the scope, updated the comparisons to our State of Media 2025 (English-language) report, and uncovered new trends that can help guide your programming, marketing, and ad strategies.

Read the full report now

The post The State of Spanish-Language Media 2025 Is Here appeared first on Crowd React Media.

In this video:

• Key trends from the 2025 report
• How media habits are shifting across platforms
• What’s next: upcoming studies on Sports Media and Spanish-Language Media

Access all reports here!

The post How Audiences Have Changed in 30+ Years | Glenda Bos on the State of Media 2025 appeared first on Crowd React Media.

In the State of Media 2025 report, we examined the media habits of over 1,000 audiences surveyed in March and April 2025. The findings highlight a crucial opportunity for traditional broadcast outlets to capture younger audiences through short-form video content.

Why Short-Form Video?

Video content has become increasingly vital to connecting with younger demographics. Our study found that 93% of 18–34-year-olds report watching YouTube, with 66% identifying as heavy users (3+ days per week). Podcasts are also seeing a shift toward video, with 63% of audiences watching podcasts sometimes or always—a figure that climbs to 67% for younger demos. In the focus groups we conducted alongside the quantitative research for the State of Media report, younger audiences repeatedly emphasized how much short-form video content is a part of their daily routine. Many reported checking Reels or YouTube first thing in the morning, during breaks at work and school, while eating lunch, and at the end of the day.

Troubling Trends for Traditional Broadcast

For traditional broadcasters, the data highlights a noticeable drop in conversion rates for both radio and cable/satellite TV among younger demographics

• Cable/Satellite TV conversion fell from 65% in 2024 to 48% in 2025 among 18-34s—a steep 17-point drop.
• Radio saw a 15-point drop, from 51% to 36%.

While cable’s overall conversion rate remains high (71%), it’s buoyed primarily by older audiences. Radio’s total conversion sits at just 40%, down 7% from 2024. The decline in heavy usage and frequency is even more pronounced among younger audiences, emphasizing the need for new engagement strategies.

Leveraging Short-Form Video

For radio stations and local TV news, the opportunity is clear: tap into short-form content to build digital audiences and reclaim lost ground among younger demos.

• Repurpose morning traffic updates into quick, digestible video snippets sponsored by a local car dealership.
• Highlight key news segments as bite-sized shorts with catchy hooks to attract digital-native viewers.
• Think of top-of-the-hour news recaps as daily TikTok segments sponsored by a local bank or financial service.
• Convert morning radio trivia contests or giveaways into Instagram Reels with branded overlays sponsored by a local restaurant or coffee shop.
• Turn sports talk segments into a YouTube Shorts series sponsored by a local gym or sporting goods store.
• Create behind-the-scenes content, quick recaps, or even ‘Best Of’ clips to encourage social sharing and build digital brand affinity.

Why Now?

Audiences today crave content aggregation and local connection—a space where radio stations and local TV news can thrive. But to take advantage of this whitespace, broadcasters need to be intentional. Simply uploading content to YouTube is not enough. It needs to be chopped into bite-sized, engaging clips optimized for YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, and TikTok.

In this new landscape, loyalty isn’t about having a cable subscription or a radio preset—it’s about being where the audience already is. And right now, that place is digital, fast-paced, and video-driven.

To read the full State of Media 2025 report, click here.

The post Short Form Video: The Key to Reaching Younger Audiences for Radio and Local TV News appeared first on Crowd React Media.

Live Monday, May 5th

What happens when you stop looking at just who uses each media platform—and start looking at who’s actually converting?

The State of Media 2025 goes live Monday, May 5, and this year’s report digs deeper than ever before.

Now in its second year, this annual snapshot offers a comprehensive look at American media habits—from traditional to digital, audio to video, daily habits to deeper engagement. And in 2025, we’re taking it one step further by introducing conversion as a key lens. It’s a powerful, often-overlooked metric that reveals not just reach—but resonance.

Here’s a sneak peek at what’s inside:

• One traditional media platform quietly keeps up with it’s digital counterpart in conversion—yes, really.

• Several audio formats that appear stable on the surface are showing subtle signs of decline when compared to 2024.

• We’re seeing a reset of media habits post-pandemic, with some surprising demographic shifts… and some areas showing remarkable stability.

• Plus: data across all major platforms—radio, TV (cable and streaming), podcasts, YouTube, video games, and more.

Want to get a sense of what to expect? Take a look at last year’s report, then mark your calendar.

The State of Media 2025 goes live Monday, May 5. You won’t want to miss what’s changed—and what hasn’t.

The post The State of Media 2025 appeared first on Crowd React Media.

Recent Publications:

Ordered by most recently published.

• • State of TV News 2025
    The inaugural report on the state of TV News. Designed specifically for news stations, this report provides actionable insights and strategies to help broadcasters adapt and succeed in this new landscape.
    Read More
  • State of Sports Media 2024
    The third annual report on the state of sports media across all channels, including radio, tv, digital, social and more.
    Read More

• • State of Media 2024: Video Sales Deck
    A downloadable PowerPoint deck with video findings from our State of Media 2024 report, showcasing broadcast television’s resilience and continued success, and ready to be used in your Sales team’s next sales deck!
    Read More
  • State of Media 2024: Radio Sales Deck
    A downloadable PowerPoint deck with radio data from our State of Media 2024 report, showing the strength of radio, and ready to be used in your Sales team’s next sales deck!
    Read More
  • State of Spanish-language Media 2024: Video Edition
    This whitepaper focuses on Spanish-language video media, including local and national news.
    Read More
  • State of Spanish-language Media 2024: Audio Edition
    This whitepaper focuses on the unique aspects and developments within Spanish-language audio media.
    Read More
  • State of Media 2024
    Our flagship report offers a broad overview of the media industry, highlighting key shifts and emerging trends across various platforms.
    Read More

Coming Soon:

More to be announced shortly!

—

We strive to keep you informed and ahead of the curve with our ongoing research and insights. Bookmark this page and check back regularly for the latest updates.

The post Latest Research appeared first on Crowd React Media.