With just under a month to go until the kick-off of the Rugby World Cup, the Greene King Leisure Spend Tracker shows that almost half of Britain’s adults are planning to watch the tournament, with the pub the second most popular place to view it after the home.
More people will be watching the World Cup games at a pub than at a friend or family member’s home, and Greene King’s tracker has revealed that rugby is the second most popular sport to watch at a pub or bar, following football.
The report also demonstrates that those who play sport are much more likely to follow the tournament’s progress with twice as many likely to watch a game live at a stadium compared to those who do not participate in sporting activities.
Fiona Gunn, Greene King’s marketing director, said: “Major international sporting events regularly encourage Brits to go to the pub, and the Greene King Leisure Spend Tracker shows that the Rugby World Cup will be no exception. With the tournament being hosted in England for the first time since 1999, this competition has the potential to capture the hearts and minds of the British public. The tournament will be watched by local and international fans, which could prove a real boost for pubs across the country in September, especially if the home nations do well.”
Key Highlights
- Household spend on out of home leisure increased by 2% year on year, representing a relatively strong performance given inclement weather during July, which was cooler than both June and the same month a year prior
- In July, the average British household spend on Eating Out increased 11%, due to eating out being seen as a family friendly activity and a way to keep children entertained in poor weather
- Year-on-year, family households reduced their total leisure spend by 4% as many households may have looked to constrain spending in the run-up to the holidays to mitigate some of the financial pressure they bring
- Year-on-year, households in London and the South East reduced total leisure spending by 2% while throughout the rest of Great Britain household spend increased by 4%.
Modest growth mirrors consumer confidence
Commenting on this month’s Leisure Spend Tracker, Fiona continued: “Strong year-on-year growth of 11% shows that poor weather failed to dampen the appetite for Eating Out among British households in July, but did limit the appeal of Drinking Out and Other Leisure, which both saw similar declines in spending of 4%. Despite a mixed picture, modest growth in overall leisure spending mirrors the ongoing resilience in consumer confidence despite underlying sources of uncertainty at home and abroad.”
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