• by Wayne Friedman , January 27, 2010

Good news for Super Bowl marketers in 2010: More people intend to watch the commercials than the year before.

Overall, 57% of U.S. adults are expected to watch Super Bowl XLIV as much or more for the commercials than for the game, according to new poll by Hanon McKendry, conducted by Harris Interactive. This is a 5% interest increase over the 2009's poll, which was at 52%.

The survey also says 71% of U.S. adults plan to watch the game next month on CBS, with 35% of those expected viewers equally interested in watching the commercials as well as the game. About 22% are expected to tune in just for the commercials.

Marketers' digital media efforts will also get a boost. Over 35% of those who watch Super Bowl commercials say they are more likely to visit an advertiser's Web site after seeing a Super Bowl commercial. That is up from 30% in 2009.

U.S. adults who watch Super Bowl ads also say 48% are at least somewhat likely to discuss the ads on a social-networking site.

The survey expects that female Super Bowl viewership will essentially remain flat -- 67% in 2009 versus 65% in 2010. More females -- about 5% -- says they will watch at least or more commercials.

Hanon McKendry /Harris Interactive results say female viewers are 2.5 times more likely than male viewers to watch commercials: 32% for female viewers against 13% for male viewers.

The poll was conducted between Jan.8-12 among 2,215 U.S. men and women ages 18 and older.