The nation of passionate sports fans is estimated to generate £13 billion (€15.4bn) for the UK economy in 2034, according to research into the impact of the sporting ecosystem by Public First, commissioned by Sky.

As more people than ever before tune into sports, a report titled Game Changing: How sport makes us happier, healthier and better connected unveils that Sky Sports injected around £18 billion into UK sports over the past decade. This underpinned over £10 million of economic activity a day in the last year alone, as well as contributing hundreds of millions to the long-term development of grassroots sports.

Dana Strong, Group CEO at Sky, commented: “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.”

Key findings

Sports catalyses economic growth

In 2023 alone, Public First estimates that Sky Sports underpinned almost £4 billion in economic activity in the UK. This is equivalent to over £10 million a day.

Fans bring spending power when they watch or play sports, generating regional economic activity as they support local businesses. The enhanced footfall increases revenue in bars and pubs, with Sky Sports generating an estimated £1.1 billion extra revenue for British pubs last year alone, equivalent to 230 million pints of beer.

Broadcasters bring sports to more people

Sports broadcasters play a pivotal role in supporting the industry, with Sky injecting around £18 billion into UK sports in the last decade. Rights deals take fans to the next best seat in the house with better coverage, while facilitating critical revenue for sports organisations.

Sky’s commitment has been particularly important for women’s sports, being home to over 70 per cent of all televised women’s sports in 2023. Two in five UK adults now watch more women’s sports as a result of high-quality sports broadcasting – and the report estimates that 30 million UK adults watched a women’s sports match last year.

UK is a nation of sports fans

The nation dedicates considerable time and energy to sports. In 2023, UK adults spent approximately 9.1 billion hours, or almost 2.5 hours a week, watching and playing sports. In the last year, Sky Sports saw 26.7 million people tuned into sports on their TV.

The research also found that two in three adults actively describe themselves as a sports fan, and a quarter go as far as to say that sports is an important part of their identity.

Watching sports has a profound impact on fans

Watching sports was also found to have a profound impact on the nation’s health, inspiring UK adults to do a staggering 3.6 billion hours of additional exercise in 2023 alone. Additionally, 54 per cent said that playing, watching or being a fan of sports has had a positive impact on their mental health, rising to 65 per cent of men.

The shared experience of following sports helps fans to feel more connected. In 2023 alone, UK adults sent an estimated 558 million messages about sports per month, making 62 million new social connections over a year.

Amy Price, Director at 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.”