1 in 3 fans watching Euros from pub
Livewire’s research found that 90% of the respondents also intended to watch some matches at home.
Over 40% of respondents listed food and drinks as the main reason for the increased spend during the course of the tournament.
Soccer in pubs – a ‘young’ man’s game
The research found that some 44% of under-35s planned to watch the tournament in the pub as opposed to 32% of those over 35. More fans in Dublin planned to watch in pubs at 40% than those outside Dublin at 34%.
According to Livewire, 35% of fans overall anticipated spending more money on alcohol in the lead-up to the tournament and during the tournament itself with some 38% of male fans expecting to spend more and 28% of female fans expecting to do so. Similarly 42% of fans under 35 expected to spend more compared to 31% of fans over 35. Socio-economically, 39% of ABC1 fans claimed that they’d spend more money on alcohol during the Euros.
Over the course of the tournament people planned to increase their personal spending on alcohol by an average of €185 when an average of €85 will be spent on gambling. Male fans planned to spend €143 and female fans estimated a spend of €94. Fans under 35 estimated that their alcohol spend would be around €132.
Brand opportunity
With over half of all Irish people planning on watching the tournament this interest and optimism coupled with an improving economy represents a golden opportunity for brands to capitalise on the national excitement, stated Livewire.
As Euro sponsor, the Carlsberg brand came out of the survey well, with nearly six in 10 people correctly identifying the beer brand as a sponsor (64% male and 55% female).
28% felt more positive about Carlsberg because of its sponsorship (29% male and 23% female) with some 33% of those under 35 reporting feeling more positively about the brand compared to 23% of those over 35.
Overall, 16% of people were more likely to purchase Carlsberg because of this sponsorship association (20% male and 12% female), reported Livewire.
Some 23% of those under 35 reported a likelihood of purchasing the brand compared to just 13% of those over 35.
“The tournament seems to have lifted people’s spirits” commented Jamie Macken, a Partner with Livewire, on publication of the survey summary at the outset of the tournament, “It’s obvious there’s a sense of optimism around the country and this can be seen in the increase in personal spending on food, drink and household goods across a range of different demographics. Of course, this is good news for sponsors.”
Livewire works with clients to deliver sponsorship strategy, negotiation, activation and evaluation services and as part of the Livewire Euros Insider series.
