Drinking habits of sports fans revealed by new research

Independent research commissioned by Sky and Molson Coors has revealed that 68% of UK football fans will watch their teams from their local pub this season.

This is welcome news for publicans, as licensed premises could potentially see a £30.2m boost in income from sports viewers in just one day of sport.

The research highlighted a north/south divide in people visiting the pub, as 69% of people in Yorkshire, 64% in the northeast and 66% in the northwest visit the pub to watch sport, compared to just over half (57%) of people in the south and east of England.

The research also identified the pub habits of different sports fans, with some unusual results ...

Football

• Nearly a third (32%) of football fans go to the pub just to watch sport, with 23% of those doing so at least once a week.
• When at the pub, 64% drink beer, on average having just over three drinks per visit, and nearly a quarter take their wives or girlfriends with them.

Cricket

• 57% of cricket fans say they visit their local to socialise with friends.
• White wine is the drink of choice for just over one in 10 of cricket fans surveyed, drinking 2.6 glasses on average.

F1 Racing

• Formula One fans seem to have the biggest following with their wives and girlfriends, with 31% taking their wife or girlfriend with them to the pub.
• Once at the pub, they drink on average 2.7 drinks per person, split mainly between the 16% that drink cider and 55% who prefer beer.

Darts

• Darts fans drink on average 3.6 drinks per visit.
• 95% of darts fans visit the pub to visit friends.

Rugby Union

• Rugby Union supporters seem to be the biggest fans of the pub, with 70% visiting.
• A further 70% also drink beer when in the pub, consuming an average of three drinks per visit.

Rugby League

• Rugby League fans are the most obsessed with sport, with 34% watching sport in the pub more than once a week and 11% watching sport in the pub every day.
• They're also big beer drinkers, as 88% drink beer, on average drinking 2.5 drinks per visit.
• Although they're in the pub often, they know family comes first, with 16% choosing to go with their mother and 68% taking a 'significant other' along with them.

Tennis

• Tennis fans' primary reason for visiting the pub is for food, as 51% visit for this reason.
• Wine is a popular choice among tennis fans, with 31% choosing either red or white, drinking on average 2.3 drinks per visit.

Boxing

• Boxing fans prove to be big drinkers, as 32% have five or more drinks per visit to the pub.
• With 61% of boxing fans visiting the nation's pubs, 36% do so just to get out of the house, as opposed to the 14% who visit the pub to watch sport.
• Cider is a popular choice among boxing fans, with 25% claiming it as their favourite drink when they visit.
• Friends seem to come first for boxers, as 76% visit the pub to see them, yet none of the boxing fans surveyed would take their wife with them.

Golf

• Golf fans seem to like the pub, with 65% visiting and 37% doing so more than once a week to watch sport in general.
• Drinking on average 2.6 drinks per visit, golf fans are likely to go with their dad, as 10% take their father with them. This could explain why 6% of golf fans' favourite drink is whisky.

Source: Molson Coors Brewing Company

.