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World Cup boosts UK pub sales with 30m extra pints and £150m uplift
Payments and industry data show pub sales were 16% higher than normal during the tournament, with one England game delivering nearly double sales thanks to extended opening hours.
UK pub sales rose sharply during the World Cup, with industry and payments data indicating the tournament drove a large uplift in trading. The British Beer & Pubs Association reported pubs poured 30m extra pints over the course of the competition versus a normal trading period, and busy pumps generated about £150m in added sales.
According to data cited from Epos Now, the standout match in the last three tournaments was England’s game against Mexico, when sales nearly doubled versus the same period before the tournament. The article attributes the spike to rules allowing pubs to open through the night and trade in regular hours for that game.
The World Cup-related increase also appears to have outpaced some prior competitions, including England’s run to the Euro 2024 final. Dojo said total tournament sales were 16% above normal, and it also calculated that the World Cup boost was 9% better than Euro 2024.
The surge in activity followed a policy move for the sector, with Andy Burnham announcing a £100m aid package that included a 20% cut in business rates for pubs. The article notes the tax cut, alongside football demand, offered temporary relief for an industry that has seen one pub a day close in England and Wales last year.