The boost was naturally stronger north of the border, according to new research from The Oxford Partnership and Beverage Metrics, who revealed pubs sold an average of 379 pints per outlet on 13-14 June.
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This generated approximately £2,082 in revenue per venue while overall rate of sale increased by 1.6% compared to an average June weekend in 2025, equating to an additional six pints per pub.
While the national uplift was modest, Scotland’s involvement in the tournament created a much stronger localised impact. Scottish pubs sold an additional 87 pints per outlet compared to the June benchmark, comfortably outperforming Wales, which recorded an uplift of 39 pints per pub. England, whose football tournament campaign had yet to begin, saw sales fall by 14 pints per outlet versus the same comparison period.
50%-plus RoS boost in Scotland
The impact of Scotland’s win over Haiti was particularly evident on Sunday. Scottish venues recorded a 52.4% increase in rate of sale (RoS) compared to a typical Sunday in June while Saturday trading was up 7.4%, demonstrating the powerful influence of national team involvement on pub performance.
However, the report also highlights the importance of fixture timing. Despite Scotland’s victory, the Sunday match kicked off at 2am BST, limiting the scale of the trading opportunity when compared to Scotland’s Euro 2024 fixtures, which generated significantly higher sales volumes.
Consumer engagement remained strong throughout the weekend. Footfall increased by 2.5% year-on-year with rural locations recording the largest uplift at 5.4%. Consumers also spent longer in venues, with average dwell time reaching 154 minutes, up 6.2% compared with the same weekend last year. Rural pubs again led the way, recording an 8.4% increase in dwell time.
Lager remained the dominant drinks category, accounting for 57.7% of all draught volume sold, with an average rate of sale of 219 pints per outlet. World lager and core lager continued to drive category performance, although stout was the stand-out growth segment, posting a 6.6% increase versus the average June weekend. Ale also outperformed the market, rising 2.4%.
Tennent’s tops sales
At brand level, Tennent’s was the weekend’s top-performing draught beer, benefiting from its strong Scottish footprint. The brand recorded a 31.3% increase in rate of sale versus the June benchmark, underlining the impact of Scotland’s participation in the tournament.
The Oxford Partnership CEO Alison Jordan said: “The opening weekend demonstrates both the opportunity and the limitations that major sporting tournaments create for the on -trade. Scotland’s involvement clearly drove significant engagement among supporters, with pubs benefiting from increased sales, footfall and dwell time. However, the relatively modest national uplift also highlights how important fixture timing is. Even the most passionate fans can only do so much at 2am.
“With England and Wales still to play key fixtures, operators will be hoping that more accessible kick-off times translate into even stronger trading opportunities as the tournament progresses.”
