Sky Sports has published a report called, ‘Game Changing: How sport makes us happier, healthier and better’ that reveals that last year UK adults spent approximately 9.1 billion hours, or almost 2.5 hours a week, watching and playing sports.

The report also reveals two in five UK adults now watch more women’s sports as a result of high-quality sports broadcasting.

The research found that two in three adults actively describe themselves as a sports fan, and estimates that 30 million UK adults watched a women’s sports match last year.

The report also reveals Sky Sports believes it “injected around £18 billion” into UK sports in the last decade.

Dana Strong, Group CEO, Sky 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, 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.”

The full research and findings can be found in the full report available to view here.