Sports fandom generated £10bn in revenue for the UK economy last year with brand new research showing there could be an additional 10m new UK sports fans in the next 10 years.
The report, titled ‘Game Changing: How sport makes us happier, healthier and better connected’ was produced by Public First and commissioned by Sky Sports, to explore the impact of sports fandom in the UK.
It showed UK adults spent more than nine billion hours watching and playing sports last year, with sports fandom on track to generate £13bn a year for the UK economy by 2034.
The report makes wide-ranging recommendations including improving funding pathways for grassroots sports clubs, clamping down on online abuse, and using the upcoming review of the National Curriculum to double the minimum hours of PE taught in schools a week, with a particular emphasis on ensuring equal access to all school sports for girls.
How sport brings people together?
The research also demonstrated sport often brings families together, cutting across generations. A third…
