Seven in 10 sports fans would be willing to pay more for a ticket to a live event if the extra was used to benefit the environment, according to a new survey.

The Sport Industry Report, published today, found that 72 per cent of sport fans it surveyed said they would pay the surplus “if it was being used to deliver a positive environmental benefit”.

Younger fans were even more in favour, with 87 per cent of those aged 18-34 willing to pay extra compared with 49 per cent of over-55s.

More than half of respondents said they would pay an extra £5, 13 per cent were willing to pay £10 more and five per cent up to £20.

It comes amid continued debate about ticket prices during a cost of living crisis, with Manchester United and Tamworth among those upsetting fans with their policies.

Some United supporters protested outside Old Trafford this season after the club scrapped concessions for young and elderly fans for the remainder of the campaign.

Non-league Tamworth, meanwhile, divided opinion by hiking prices to more than £40 for adults and £25 for children for their FA Cup third round tie with Tottenham Hotspur last weekend.

Oasis also attracted a huge backlash for using dynamic pricing to sell tickets for the Manchester indie band’s comeback world tour later this year.

The survey, conducted by the Sport Industry Group and Nielsen Sports, also found that 76 per cent of fans and 83 per cent of people working in sport believe support new formats to ensure that sports stay relevant.

“The UK is a distinctive and important sports market yet the industry faces some profound and unprecedented changes and opportunities,” said Nielsen Sports’s market leader for UK and Ireland, Andrew Milnes.

“Our findings reflect the specific state of play in the UK, the key differences between the industry and the fans it serves, and emerging attitudes around innovation and sport’s changing role in society. 

“Taken together, these should give sports brands and organisations cause to look again at how they optimise for some of the biggest challenges ahead.”