Longer Stays, Fuller Venues: Six Nations Delivers for Hospitality
The third weekend of the Guinness Six Nations delivered a major boost to the UK on trade, with pubs selling an estimated 12.7 million pints of draught beer and cider and generating an average of £2,002 in income per outlet, according to new data from The Oxford Partnership.
Analysis of more than 8,500 pubs across the UK shows average rate of sale increased by 2.3% compared to the same weekend in 2025, while total footfall rose by 9.9%. The uplift was driven not only by more consumers visiting pubs, but also by customers staying longer, with average dwell time increasing by five minutes year on year.
On average, pubs sold 387 pints across the Saturday and Sunday, with bars and local pubs delivering the strongest performance. Bars achieved the highest rate of sale at 204 pints per day, while locals also saw steady growth, highlighting the continued importance of community pubs during major sporting occasions.
Category performance revealed a notable shift in consumer preference. Stout was the standout performer, with rate of sale increasing by 7.9% year on year and share rising to 18.1% of total draught volume. Lager remained the largest category overall, accounting for 51.9% of volume, but its share declined slightly compared to last year.
Sport continued to play a critical role in driving engagement and spend. Pubs showing live sport benefited from dwell times that were on average 20 minutes longer than venues without live coverage, reinforcing the commercial importance of live sport to pub operators.
The data also showed particularly strong performance on the Sunday, with footfall increasing by 22.7% compared to the equivalent day last year, demonstrating the growing importance of the full match weekend.
Alison Jordan, CEO of The Oxford Partnership, said: “The Six Nations continues to be one of the most powerful drivers of performance in the UK on trade. What stands out this year is not just the increase in footfall, but the improvement in dwell time, which is critical for driving spend and overall profitability.
“We are also seeing clear shifts in consumer behaviour, with stout gaining share and community pubs and bars performing especially strongly. These insights underline the importance of live sport in bringing consumers into pubs and creating meaningful commercial impact for operators.”
Overall, the third weekend of the Six Nations demonstrates the continued resilience and importance of live sporting occasions for the UK pub sector. Increased footfall, longer visits and strong category performance combined to deliver meaningful revenue gains for operators, highlighting how major sporting events remain essential in driving both volume and value across the on trade.