Half of UK Fans Stayed Out to Watch England’s World Cup Match versus Mexico, as One Third of Pubs Remained Open
Following England’s World Cup win versus Mexico earlier this morning, new insights from Dojo have revealed that the blanket 5 am licensing extension put in place across the UK generated a boost for the UK’s hospitality sector despite the delayed 2 am kick-off time.
One third of pubs remained open to screen the match, with half of fans staying out
Dojo’s analysis of pub and bar transactions across the UK has found that while only one-third of pubs remained open, half the usual number of fans stayed out to watch the game this morning compared to Sunday afternoon.
According to their data, three-quarters of customers were still spending between midnight and 2 am. From 2 am onwards, this dropped to one-third of customers, reaching one-tenth at 4 am.
Extended licensing hours generated an 11% boost in spending
Their data has also highlighted that the extended 28-hour session provided an average spending boost of 11% to venues across the UK.
This was calculated by comparing average spending from midnight Sunday morning to 4 am Monday morning to the same trading window the week prior.
Pre-game spend remained strong, peaking at 01:50
Dojo’s insights have also revealed that pre-game spend remained consistently elevated from midnight through to 01:50, with fans continuing to purchase drinks beyond the originally scheduled 01:00 kick-off.
Between midnight and 5 am, spending saw the greatest peak at 01:50 as fans headed to the bar to top up their drinks ahead of the match.
A sharp drop in spending during the match, as fans stayed glued to the screen
Following this, a sharp drop in transactions occurred from the moment the start whistle began.
In comparison, spending remained consistently higher than pre-match during all 4 of England’s previous World Cup matches, reaching its peak immediately following the final whistle.
This points towards the drop in spending as an implication of the early-morning kick-off; however, England fans may also be quick to point out the far greater excitement of the match.
With many calling it ‘one of the best matches of the tournament’ so far[1], this data could suggest that lower spend during the game resulted from fans not wanting to miss any of the action.
A strong half-time spending surge remained
In line with spending patterns from previous England matches, a strong half-time surge in transactions occurred at approximately 02:45–02:50. This further reinforces that fans were careful not to miss out on any key moments, as they used half-time as an opportunity to top up their drinks without missing any of the game.
Charlie Ashworth, Head of Research and Insights at Dojo, comments:
“Overall, our data reflects a highly engaged crowd enjoying an extended night, concluding with England’s 3–2 victory.
“These insights highlight the value of the extended licensing times for hospitality businesses and the scale of opportunity presented to them as England continues to progress through the tournament, even with more late-night and early-morning kick-offs likely to take place.
“With spending expected to remain high, the businesses that capitalise on demand by providing fast and seamless customer experiences are the ones best positioned for success.”