Britain is top of the league when it comes to sports fans, a report suggests.
The first deep-dive into the complex sporting ecosystem shows our insatiable appetite for live action will pump £13 billion a year into the economy by 2034.
Last year UK adults spent 9.1 billion hours, or almost 2.5 hours a week, watching and playing sports.
Research also found two in three adults actively describe themselves as a sports fan, and one quarter say sport is an important part of their identity.
The findings come in a new report, Game Changing: How sport makes us happier, healthier and better connected by Public First, commissioned by Sky.
It showed watching sports has a profound impact on the nation’s health, inspiring adults to undertake 3.6 billion hours of additional exercise last year. Additionally, 54% said that playing, watching or being a fan of sports has had a positive impact on their mental health, rising to 65% of men.
Sky Sports injected around £18 billion into UK sports over the past decade. This underpinned more than £10 million of economic activity a day in the last year, as well as contributing hundreds of millions to the long-term development of grassroots sports.
Sky chief executive Dana Strong said: “Sport is an invaluable part of our society. It builds stronger communities, promotes inclusivity and enhances our national pride. At Sky, we’re incredibly proud of our role in the sector – over the next decade, our goal is to help bring millions more fans across all sections of our society to the benefits of sport. With continued focus on innovation, participation, and investment from every part of the ecosystem, including government, sport can continue to unlock greater social and economic benefits for the UK.”
Amy Price, of Public First, said: “Whether casual spectators or life-long devotees, billions of people across the country find joy in sport. Our research demonstrates that sport helps us to feel happier, healthier, and better connected to our communities, whilst catalysing significant economic growth across the country. We estimate that fans grew the UK economy by almost £10 billion in 2023 and, with the right conditions, UK sport has the potential to soar even higher over the coming decade.”