NFL fans get an average of 25 more hours of free time than their non-fan partners over the course of the regular season. With games taking up hours of viewing time each week, BettingUSA.com looked into how this impacts the balance of free time and chores at home, surveying 3,000 NFL fans who live with a partner who doesn’t follow the NFL.
Key findings:
- Fans of the Indianapolis Colts and Chicago Bears enjoy 43.2 more hours of free time than their partners each (regular) season, the largest leisure gap in the NFL
- On average, NFL fans enjoy 5.1 hours of free time on a weekend game day, compared to 3.7 hours for their non-fan partners. Over the course of a regular season, this adds up to 25 more hours of free time for NFL fans
- While 42% of NFL fans claim that they take on the majority of household tasks on non-game days, that figure drops to 31% on game days
- 55% of households say watching sports occasionally causes debate or tension over the balance of chores at home
How does football season affect the free time gap between partners?
Is there anything better than sinking into the couch or sitting in the stadium with a snack, waiting for a new NFL game to kick off? For football fans, it’s the ultimate form of relaxation. But with games easily lasting several hours, and seasons stretching over months, it’s taking up a significant amount of time. In fact, on an average game day, NFL fans spend 4.9 hours watching sports, out of a total of 5.1 hours of free time.
BettingUSA.com asked 3,000 NFL fans who live with a non-fan partner how much free time they typically have on a weekend game day, compared with their partners. For this survey, free time was defined as any form of relaxation, including watching games, reading, enjoying hobbies, taking naps, etc.
Colts and Bears fans get a full workweek more free time than their partners
NFL fans enjoy 25.2 more hours of free time than their partners over the course of a regular season. The biggest outliers are fans of the Indianapolis Colts and Chicago Bears, who each have 43.2 more hours of free time than their non-fan partners, equivalent to more than a full workweek. Houston Texans and Arizona Cardinals fans follow closely behind with a 39.6-hour difference, followed by Miami Dolphins fans at 36 hours. The smallest gap is found among Jacksonville Jaguars fans, where the seasonal leisure gap drops to just 7.2 hours.
Game days mean fewer chores for fans
When it comes to household chores, 42% of NFL fans say they take on the majority of tasks on non-game days (46% report an even split with their partner, while 12% say their partner does most of the work). On game days, however, the share of fans who claim to handle most of the chores drops to 31%. The biggest difference is seen among Broncos fans: while 57% claim to do most of the household chores on non-game days, that figure falls to 21% on game days.
More than half of respondents, or 55%, say watching sports sometimes causes debate or tension over the balance of chores at home. That figure is highest among Houston Texans fans at 80%, followed by Los Angeles Chargers fans (79%) and Seattle Seahawks supporters (74%). The fanbase with the lowest percentage of fans reporting such friction is that of the Steelers, at 39%.
Methodology
For BettingUSA.com’s 2026 NFL Game-Day Leisure Gap Study, we surveyed 3,000 U.S. residents in October 2026 who are the primary NFL fan in their household and live with a partner who does not follow the NFL. (Respondents were screened beforehand).
Respondents were asked to select their favorite NFL team and share how many hours of sports they watch on an average weekend game day. They were also asked to estimate their own average leisure hours on a weekend game day versus those of their non-fan partner, as well as how household chores are divided on non-game days compared to a typical weekend game day. Additionally, respondents indicated whether time spent watching sports has ever caused debate or resentment regarding household balance.
To calculate the free time gap between NFL fans and their non-fan partners, we calculated the average difference in reported leisure hours on a typical weekend game day for each fanbase. This average difference was then multiplied by 18, representing the 18-week NFL regular season, to estimate the cumulative free time gap over the course of a full regular season.
Of all respondents, 53% identified as female, 46% as male, and 1% as non-binary. The average age of respondents was 44 years.
Mike Murphy is the founder of BettingUSA.com and has over 20 years of experience in the legal gambling industry. A regular attendee of industry trade shows and conferences, Mike is a strong proponent in the idea of a well regulated online betting industry.
Alicia is a regular contributor to BettingUSA.com providing fresh insight and a factual take on current events within the gambling industry.