As America prepares for Super Bowl XLIX, new research from SquareTrade®, the top-rated protection plan trusted by millions of happy customers, suggests that 23 million Americans have damaged their cell phone or tablet while caught up in the passion of a sporting event, totaling over $2 billion in repairs and replacements.
According to the study, Seahawks fans are at a slightly higher risk for a fumble, showing to be 11% clumsier than Patriots fans. 21% of Seahawks fans have had a cell phone accident in the past 12 months compared to 19% for those rooting for the Patriots.
Eat, Drink and Fumble
This year, SquareTrade explored how our favorite game time snacks and beverages can help predict clumsiness with devices like smartphones and tablets:
- Beer Matters: People who typically drink imported beer are 22% more likely than average to have damaged a phone while microbrew drinkers are 37% less likely than average
- Dangerous Dips: Spinach dip is the most dangerous snack — fans who prefer spinach dip are 10% more likely than average to have damaged a phone within the last year
- Toilet Drops: More prevalent than ever: 1 in 5 Americans has dropped their phone in the toilet – that amounts to almost 50M of us!
- Passion Plays: 15% of American adults (an estimated 36 MM) have damaged a smartphone in a fit of emotion
“The Seahawks ‘12th Man’ fan base is known for their intensity during the game, so it’s not a huge surprise that their emotions occasionally get the best of them and their phone pays the price” commented Ty Shay, SquareTrade’s Chief Marketing Officer. “We also found that one in five Americans has dropped their phone in the toilet – double that count from 2 years ago. With NBC live-streaming the entire game for free this year, we’re expecting a lot more claims around water damage Monday morning.”
To boost fans’ device defense, SquareTrade offers the following tips for an accident free Super Bowl:
- Count to ten after all suspect calls or player mistakes
- Never use your device in the bathroom
- Defend your smartphone against doctoring – use a fitted, waterproof case to avoid spills and drop damage
- Keep your phone at hand but not in hand – like the precious TV remote, find a place that is close to the couch and easy to find
- If you must text or tweet during the game, put the phone down when either team is in the Red Zone
Methodology and Data Sources
- SquareTrade’s 2015 Super Bowl Surveys, conducted in January 2015 using Google Consumer Surveys. Feedback was collected from a total of 2,732 online consumers.
- The US Census Bureau’s 2014 Projection of the US Population
- Please note: Number of Americans and total dollars spent figures based on extrapolation from data sources 1 and 2.
About SquareTrade
SquareTrade is the top-rated protection plan trusted by millions of happy customers for its fast and exceptional service. SquareTrade protects mobile devices, laptops and tablets, and other consumer electronics and appliances from malfunctions, accidental damage and life’s frequent mishaps. Unlike old-fashioned warranties, SquareTrade is designed for today’s consumer and uses innovative technology to deliver a zero hassle claims process. SquareTrade has more than 200,000 fans on Facebook, consistently wins industry awards and receives thousands of 5-star reviews for its legendary customer service. Top retailers around the world offer SquareTrade, achieving significant sales growth and happier customers. Privately held, SquareTrade’s investors include Bain Capital and Bain Capital Ventures. SquareTrade is headquartered in San Francisco and London. For more information, go to www.squaretrade.com
