The final weekend of the Six Nations tournament and the Carabao Cup both took place between Saturday 15 March and Sunday 16 March, however, overall sales across the on-trade saw year-on-year (YOY) decline, new data has revealed.
Figures from real time market intelligence firm Oxford Partnership showed sales saw a 2.1% drop compared to the same weekend in 2024.
However, there was a 24.3% increase compared to an average weekend in 2025, primarily driven by heightened sporting excitement.
Sporting event impacts
Across the weekend, 33.2 m pints were sold, with the average pub generating £4,461 in revenue and serving 878 pints.
Saturday sales showed a modest 0.4% increase, but this was offset by a weaker Sunday with a 5.3% YOY decrease.
World Lager was the top performer with a 7.5% YOY increase, potentially benefiting from France’s Six Nations victory and Newcastle’s Carabao Cup win, Oxford Partnership said.
In contrast, stout sales dropped by 8.9% compared with last year due to the absence of St. Patrick’s Day during this period, unlike in 2024.
Other categories showed varying growth, with fruit cider (1.3%), premium lager, (0.8%), and ale (1.7%), seeing increases, while apple cider remained flat. World Lager also outperformed Core Lager.
The Carabao Cup Final was estimated to have added an extra 73 pints per pub, which equated to £371 in additional revenue.
In the NE postcode area, beer sales surged by 72%, with an extra 130 pints sold compared to the same final weekend last year.
Footfall and dwell time increase
Pubs that offered live sport saw a 9.3% increase in footfall, with Sunday experiencing the largest uplift of 16.3%.
The average visit time in pubs showing sport rose to 164 minutes, a 13.9% increase compared to those not screening it.
Rural pubs also saw the largest gains in dwell time of 16.6%, followed by suburban pubs at 14.9% and city centre venues at 10.1%.
Oxford Partnership CEO Alison Jordan commented: “This weekend’s data reaffirms the crucial role of live sports in driving pub revenues.
“With significant increases in footfall and pint sales, particularly in regions celebrating key sporting victories, it’s clear that sporting events continue to provide a major boost to the hospitality industry.”.
