Illinois Ag Connection - Survey: Third of Americans Pair Certain Snacks with Different TV Shows

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Survey: Third of Americans Pair Certain Snacks with Different TV Shows
Illinois Ag Connection - 09/25/2017

Americans have a confession to make: they are obsessed with TV and snacking. In a recent survey, Eagle Foods, makers of G.H. Cretors Popped Corn, Richfield, Ohio, found that the average American clocks up 11 hours and 23 minutes of TV watching in a typical week, and a resounding 96% of people surveyed reported that they are likely to snack while tuning in.

As some of television's hottest fall shows make their season premieres over the next few weeks, 86% of Americans said they are likely to be snacking during the season premiere of their favorite show. And it's not just mindless snacking. One-third of people reported that certain snacks pair better with different television shows. Pairings that Americans favor include:

- Popcorn rated the top snack to pair with nail-biting fantasy shows like HBO's "Game of Thrones" and "Westworld"

- Popcorn also wins the vote for fans of the quick-witted HBO political satire, "Veep"

- Ice cream pairs best with NBC's emotionally rich series "This Is Us"

- Fans of reality TV series like ABC's "The Bachelor," "The Bachelorette" and "Dancing with the Stars" most often reach for chips

- Chips are also the top choice for men catching up on binge-worthy Netflix series such as "Stranger Things" and "Orange Is the New Black", but women watchers are reaching for popcorn.

- Chips are the choice for fans of Olivia Pope and ABC's "Scandal"

"We'll admit it -- we're just as obsessed with snacking as most other Americans are, and, of course, our favorite snack is popcorn," said Corinne Kelly, Vice President of Marketing at Eagle Foods, Waukegan, Ill., with varieties ranging from salty to sweet and even the popular The Mix, which is a blend of salty cheddar and sweet caramel kernels. "We lead very busy lives with minimal time to sit down and enjoy food. That's why when we do have the time to enjoy our favorite television shows with our favorite snacks, it makes the experience all the more sweet -- or salty!"

The snack pairings trends continue for those watching full length movies as well. When watching action and horror films, movie buffs are four times more likely to reach for a salty snack versus a sweet treat. Conversely, romantic comedy fans want it all, with the majority of those with a preference (38%) saying "I look for something that satisfies both sweet and salty." For millennials watching rom coms, however, the preference is for strictly sweet.

No matter what they are watching, Americans like to share their snacks when tuning in. The majority (65%) said that watching television is the most common time they snack and share with friends, beating out snacking in a movie theater (44%) and snacking at a sporting event (24%). Popcorn is lauded as the most shareable snack (31%), followed by chips (26%) and ice cream (17%). Popcorn was also voted the snack people are most likely to finish the whole bag of (36%) followed by potato chips (30%).

Millennial snackers may be the most obsessed -- or at least the most honest -- when it comes to admitting how they like to eat their popcorn. Against all age demographics, millennials have the most unique and passionate ways to enjoy this snack:

- 30% admit to tipping up their bag of popcorn and pouring it into their mouth

- 64% say they lick their fingers after they are done snacking on popcorn

- 31% eat un-popped kernels and crumbs

- 65% say "I've eaten popcorn I picked off my clothes"

- 40% confess "I've eaten popcorn that I found on the couch/chair I was sitting in"

- 39% acknowledge "I've finished all my popcorn before a movie/show even started"

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