New Seton Hall Sports poll shows Americans ‘overwhelmingly’ support Seahawks over Patriots for Super Bowl win originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
As Super Bowl LX approaches, a new Seton Hall Sports Poll suggests that public sentiment is tilting sharply toward the Pacific Northwest. According to the latest data, significantly more Americans say they are rooting for the Seattle Seahawks than the New England Patriots to hoist the Lombardi Trophy.
Among all U.S. adults surveyed, 27 percent said they are backing Seattle, compared with 15 percent who favor New England. The gap widens when narrowing the focus to football fans. Nearly four in 10 self-identified NFL fans say they want the Seahawks to win, while just one in five are pulling for the Patriots. Similar margins appear among sports fans and avid sports fans, with no subgroup showing more than 20 percent support for New England.
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The results mark a notable shift from last year, when fan preferences were far tighter. In Super Bowl LIX, the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles were separated by only a few percentage points in pregame polling. This time, the difference is clear enough to be considered decisive.
“This may be a new generation of post-Tom Brady era fans who are surprised that the Patriots are returning to the Super Bowl,” said Charles Grantham, director of the Center for Sport Management and the Seton Hall Sports Poll. He added that many viewers have grown accustomed to seeing Kansas City and Patrick Mahomes on the sport’s biggest stage, which could explain the cooler reaction to New England’s return.
The poll also suggests that the matchup itself is driving a sizable portion of neutral interest. About a quarter of respondents said they are simply hoping for a good game, while nearly a third reported having no rooting interest. Both teams are making their first Super Bowl appearance in several years, which appears to be pulling in casual viewers rather than energizing a single dominant fan base.
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Beyond team allegiances, the survey offers a snapshot of how Americans plan to experience Super Bowl Sunday. Nearly three-quarters of viewers expect to watch from home, most often with immediate family. Younger adults are more likely to head to a friend’s house, while middle-aged viewers lead the way in hosting watch parties.
Food remains a central part of the event. Pizza tops the list of Super Bowl staples, followed closely by chicken wings and chips with salsa. When asked what they look forward to most during the broadcast, about half of Americans cited the game itself, while the halftime show and commercials split the remainder by generation.
Interest in the halftime performance is also climbing. The poll shows growing excitement for Bad Bunny, particularly among younger viewers, signaling that entertainment remains a key draw even as overall viewership could level off this year.
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The poll was conducted from Jan. 27–30 among 1,596 U.S. adults and carries a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points.
