The viewing of televised sports, like other television viewing situations, is often accompanied by many audience distractions. These distractions, which are particularly acute in the viewing of televised sports, include group viewing, wagering, and food and beverage consumption. All these activities may influence the impact of advertising placed within sports programs, which totals almost $3 billion annually.

This study uses reports of the activities listed above by individuals while viewing pro football's Super Bowl and gathered through a day-after national coincidental sample, to assess the relationship of these distractions to advertising recall. Regression results show that the consumption of certain foods and beverages, as well as conditions common to viewing televised sports, are related to recall of commercials. Growing use of database marketing, linking product purchases with viewing habits, broadens the implications of these findings for future media planning.