( CNN ) -- The NFL markets the Super Bowl as the ultimate game , the ultimate contest . Helmets clash like gladiators in ancient Rome . Stadiums resemble coliseums -- especially those without a roof . The contest is macho all the way . Players talk about `` manning up '' ( not a reference to the quarterback family ) and other testosterone-leaning terms . Other than a few party-oriented commercials , football is marketed toward men . It 's a guy thing , and we ladies are allowed in if we know either when to cheer or how to bring the cheer . Or so the stereotype goes . So it used to be . But no more . According to Nielsen demographic data , 46 % of the Super Bowl viewing audience is female , and more women watch the game than the Oscars , Grammys and Emmys combined . That perhaps surprising statistic raises two questions : Why ? And , so what ? History of the Super Bowl : By the numbers . Why do women watch the game ? Now , we know that women attended the gladiator fights and chariot races in ancient Rome . But today , it may be more than just the blood sport . Many women are into sports for the same reasons men are : They enjoy the competition . It 's entertaining . The tailgating before . The excitement during . The celebrating ( or commiserating ) after . Lots of action . But a lot of women are football fans because it 's a family thing . My father was a lifelong Saints fan , and I 'm proud to carry on the family tradition . Lionel Brazile has got to be beaming , knowing I 'm going to my second Super Bowl . He would have loved to hear my stories . Maybe I 'll tell him one or two while I 'm praying . There are lots of studies about the different ways men and women bond , so I find it interesting how the bonding intersects around Super Bowl time . For women , the score is important if our team is playing . But whether we 're watching at home or at the stadium , it 's about being there and being with -- family and friends . For the men , it 's also about sharing -- but I suspect it 's about sharing the competition , vicariously . But as long as it 's a good game , and brings people together for a positive experience , it does n't matter why . There is a `` so what , '' though -- a practical economic side to women 's interest in The Big Game . She-conomy.com reports that `` women influence the majority of consumer spending across all categories . '' On the line of scrimmage : Football and politics . For advertisers and businesses , Super Bowl Sunday should be a prime time to focus on women . Sadly , according to a recent article in adweek.com , advertisers have fumbled the ball . `` In 2013 we saw waitresses turned strippers , scantily clad women tackling each other in the dirt , and a supermodel sloppily kissing a computer programmer , '' said writer Kat Gordon . This turns off men as well as women . So if businesses want their Super Bowl commercials to be part of the event , instead of an excuse to check the fridge , they 'd better pay attention to the numbers -- and I do n't mean the Roman numerals . And while they are at it , they should seriously consider taking it one step further and using the Super Bowl -- the most watched sports event of the year -- to promote awareness around issues facing women today . Use this testosterone-saturated event , for instance , to make clear that while testosterone-driven violence might be entertaining on the field , it does n't belong in the bedroom . Use the Super Bowl to do more than determine the best football team of the year . Use it to help end one of the most prevalent crimes of the century -- violence again women . Use it as a warm-up for the One Billion Rising event on February 14 , in which more than a billion people worldwide will rise to support justice for women . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Donna Brazile .
According to Nielsen data , 46 % of the Super Bowl viewing audience is female . Is it the spectacle of the battle or a chance to spend time with the family ? Comment: