Survey: Date Night or Game Night? How Gen Z Balances Dating and the Super Bowl
For one night every year, romance faces some serious competition. Between kickoff, the commercials, and the halftime show (or should we say the Benito Bowl?), the Super Bowl doesn’t just dominate TVs – it also competes for attention in Gen Z’s dating lives.
To see whether love or football comes first, Hily surveyed 1,000 American Gen Z daters about how they’re spending Super Bowl Sunday, and whether they’d trade game time for date time. From swiping during commercial breaks to turning the game into a date itself, here’s how Gen Z is mixing romance with the biggest sporting event of the year.
Before we dive in (or kick off), here are some key findings from our survey:
- 51% of Gen Z women and 61% of men find watching the Super Bowl together romantic.
- Out of those who plan to watch the Super Bowl, 52% of Gen Z women and 59% of men would skip it to go on a date.
- Big events like the Super Bowl make 42% of Gen Z women and 52% of men want to be less single.
- Among those who plan to watch the Super Bowl, 38% of Gen Z women and 53% of men would use dating apps during the halftime show.
Who’s Watching, and Who’s Willing to Miss It?
Super Bowl Sunday still draws a crowd – especially among young men. 67% of young Gen Z men say they plan to watch the game this year, compared with 50% of Gen Z women. While not everyone is tuning in, the game still has a major cultural pull for many young daters.
Surprisingly, the game isn’t untouchable, and for some daters, love is worth missing kickoff. Among those who plan to watch, more than half of women (52%) and men (59%) say they’d skip the Super Bowl to go on a date. When romance calls, even kickoff isn’t always enough to keep Gen Z on the couch.
Super Bowl Sunday: where rival teams are fine, but being single isn’t. For some, the Super Bowl highlights more than just field goals and touchdowns. Big events like this make 42% of Gen Z women and 52% of men feel more aware of being single. Shared cultural moments hit differently when you don’t have someone next to you.
When Football Is the Date
Turns out, love and football aren’t opposites. 51% of Gen Z women and 61% of men say watching the Super Bowl feels romantic. Sharing snacks, cheering (or commiserating) together, and reacting in real time might be just as bonding as a date over a candlelit dinner.
Moreover, daters agree that watching the Super Bowl counts as a date. 55% of women and 62% of men think turning Super Bowl viewing into a date is a great idea. For Gen Z, romance doesn’t have to be formal – sometimes it just needs a couch, good food, a reason to cheer, and the opportunity to see how your date handles the stress that comes with an important game.
Love may be stronger than team loyalty. 69% of Gen Z women and 81% of men say they’d be okay if their date supports the rival team. Friendly rivalry is fine…as long as the vibes stay good, and the snacks are always shared.
Sending Likes Between Plays
The commercials aren’t just for brands anymore. When the commercials start, so does the matchmaking. Among those watching the game, 59% of women and 62% of men say they’d use dating apps during commercial breaks. For many, Super Bowl Sunday doubles as a time to send likes to a potential date.
Halftime isn’t safe from sending likes to a potential date either. 38% of women and 53% of men say they’d open dating apps during the halftime show. Even headline performances can’t fully stop Gen Z from checking their matches.
And some don’t wait at all. Almost half (44%) of women and (41%) of men admit they’d use dating apps during the actual game. Multitasking is clearly part of the modern viewing experience.
That feeling often turns into conversation starters. One in three Gen Z women and one in five men say they’d use the Super Bowl or halftime show as an icebreaker on a dating app. Intense plays, touching commercials, and electric performers; when everyone is watching the same thing, flirting gets a little easier.
Love Can Still Score on Game Day
Hily’s survey shows that for Gen Z, the Super Bowl doesn’t cancel dating–it reshapes it. Whether it’s turning the game into a date, sending flirty messages during halftime, or realizing big events feel better with someone by your side, romance finds a way to sneak into Super Bowl Sunday.
While football may be important, the numbers make one thing clear: if the right date comes along, Gen Z is willing to pause the game (or at least check their phone between plays). Not everyone is here for the football–some are here for the flirting and sometimes, the best win of the night isn’t on the scoreboard.
About Hily
Hily (pronounced like ‘highly’) is a dating app designed to connect singles with new people while supporting them in remaining authentic. Short for “Hey, I Like You,” it invites users to have fun and not look for a perfect match.
By encouraging everyone to date as they are, Hily is breaking one of the biggest curses of online dating—feeling pressured to hide your true self. Praising self-exploration, self-acceptance, open-mindedness, and inclusivity, the app helps people put real connections first and keep competition at bay by unlocking their unique, fabulous selves. With features like icebreakers, compatibility checks, messaging, Major Crush, and zodiac synastry, Hily helps users express who they really are and connect in genuine ways.
Launched in 2017, Hily has become one of the top 10 dating apps in US app stores, with over 39 million users worldwide.