The upcoming women’s Euros final, where the England Lionesses aim to redeem their 2023 World Cup loss to Spain, is set to be the most-watched women’s football match in UK history. The tournament has already provided a boost of more than £800m to supermarkets, pubs, and retailers. Sunday’s match will be broadcast on ITV and BBC, along with their respective streaming services, and is expected to surpass the peak audience of 14.8 million recorded when England lost 1-0 to Spain in Sydney two years ago, if the match is competitive. The series of thrilling matches, following an initial drubbing, has increased the tournament’s popularity, with the semi-final win over Italy granting ITV its largest TV audience of the year.
By the final whistle on Sunday, the UK public is estimated to have spent over £800m during the tournament, according to research by GlobalData for VoucherCodes, which is £221m more than the spending during the 2023 women’s World Cup. On the day of the final, nearly £184m is expected to be spent in pubs and other venues, as well as at retail outlets. Supermarkets are anticipated to benefit the most, with an expected £100m spent on food and drink. Tesco anticipates a 15% increase in Euro-related product spending and the sale of over 450,000 bottles of champagne and sparkling wine for potential celebrations or consolation. About 4.5 million people are expected to watch the final in hospitality venues, with women and girls making up 53% of viewers. Despite this, Spanish beer brands are favored among consumers. Franči Escoté of the Co-op expects a 30% sales increase for its ready-to-drink cocktail cans. Asda estimates selling over 6 million pints and 300,000 pizzas this weekend, implementing a promotion featuring England and Spanish ingredients. An estimated 13 million pints will be consumed during the game, 8.7 million by fans at home and 4.3 million by those in hospitality venues, indicating a rise in pub attendance. Female players on the pitch have made the Euros more appealing to women and girls. Almost 5 million under-18s are expected to watch at home, indicating a strong appeal among younger female viewers. The majority of the viewing is expected to be family-friendly, leading to an estimated 18 million cups of tea, 7.9 million coffees, and 15.4 million glasses of juice and smoothies consumed. However, beer remains popular, with 52 million pints expected to be consumed throughout the tournament, 13 million of those on Sunday. The final will determine whether the pints are consumed in jubilation or in consolation.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/jul/27/womens-euro-2025-final-boost-uk-supermarkets-pubs-retail-hospitality-industry
