$11 Billion In Super Bowl Spending

SIOUX FALLS, SD - 173 million people will watch Sunday night's big game, the most in a decade.  And most of them will have spent about $64 each on everything from football related merchandize to snacks.

Super Bowl Sunday is a big day for retailers.

From chips to pop to beer, snacks and beverages will be flying off store shelves this week.

"The Super Bowl is the second largest food holiday next to Thanksgiving; bigger than Christmas, better than Easter. It's just one of those things where snacking and eating is part of the all-day event," Bob Trader of Hy-Vee said.

Food manufacturers are counting on it, but that doesn't mean there won't be specials for the big game day.

"The food producers and manufacturers have figured out it's the second biggest holiday. They've brought it into something unbelievable, so you'll see a lot of aggressive pricing to get their share of that pie," Trader said.

These days, people are more likely to shell out a little extra to buy something already prepared.

"Obviously, the prepared food is a little more expensive; but it's the trade off of time for money.  Do you want to have the time to spend with guest or do you want to do the preparation and spend less money?" Trader said.

But the food is only part of it; many football fans are also angling for new a TV before game day.

"Everything is big. It's a big game, you've got to watch it on a big screen," Tom Johnson of Karl's TV said.

TV sales are driven by sports, both football and March Madness.  There is a spike in sales right before the Super Bowl.

"We'll sell televisions on Sunday, probably upwards two or three o'clock; people will still get them home and get them hooked up for the game," Johnson said.

The average sale runs around $1,200, but you can get a 50-inch HDTV for just under a $1,000 these days.

"It's to the consumer's benefit; people are taking advantage of the low price," Johnson said.

And while sales have been brisk, local retailers say the match up still could have been better for our area.

"It would have been better for us if we would have had a Packers game in the Super Bowl," Johnson said.

Super Bowl spending is expected to reach a record $11 billion. It's also the biggest day of the year for pizza delivery. Pizza Hut alone is expecting to sell more than two million pizzas nationwide Sunday.