Football watching rises but spending is down

Related tags Rugby football Football

by Ewan Turney People watch live football in pubs more now than ever but spend less when they do so. That is a key finding of an exclusive poll of...

by Ewan Turney

People watch live football in pubs more now than ever but spend less when they do so. That is a key finding of an exclusive poll of 200 consumers, carried out by Continental Research for the Morning Advertiser.

Overall, 5.4m adults now watch live sport in a pub each week and 24% visit the pub once a week for games up 6% on last year.

However, as the numbers increase the average spend falls. It now stands at £15.50, from £17 last year. Men under 35 are the biggest spenders at £19 per visit.

Unsurprisingly, more men (58%) watch football regularly in a pub than women (35%), but just over half of all respondents catch at least one game every month. Over 35s have overtaken their younger counterparts as the largest group of regular viewers.

Midweek Champions League football has helped to swell audiences on otherwise quiet Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. But most (62%) named Sunday as their favourite day to watch football at the pub. Saturday has seen the biggest increase in popularity (21%) despite hav-ing no live football in the closed period of 2.45pm to 5.15pm.

Of those that go to the pub on a Saturday, tea-time kick-off is now as popular as lunchtime kick-offs on Prem Plus.

A good atmosphere was the main reason for choosing a pub. Other factors include: if friends go there; if it is easy to get home; and if there is a big screen.

Food was lowest on the list of priorities. When food is ordered, it is most likely to be light dishes such as crisps and sandwiches.

One in four people said smoking was the most important reason for avoiding the pub - although half could see no disadvantage in watching football in a pub. Apart from football, rugby union was comfortably the most popular sport to watch, with 53% naming it as their favourite up 14% in one year. This was followed by rugby league, cricket and motorsport.

Lager is the overwhelming choice of sports fans. Soft drinks beat bitter into second place. But wine is three times as popular, and soft drinks twice as popular, among women.

Women are also most likely to leave directly after a match one-third do so. But 46% said a sports quiz would keep them at the pub longer.

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