New research by BT Sport has revealed that over a quarter (27%) of sports fans aged 18-24 would give up their Christmas dinner to be able to watch sport on the TV.
– More than a quarter (27%) of sports fans* aged 18-24 would give up Christmas dinner to watch sport on the TV.
– 26% of sports fans would sacrifice family time to watch sport on the TV over Christmas.
– 39% of UK adults watch sport on the TV over the festive period.
– More than one in ten men (11%) arrange their Christmas plans around football TV schedules.
The survey shows that one in four (26%) sport fans in the UK would also sacrifice spending time with their family over Christmas in favour of watching their team on the television, a figure that rises to over a third (35%) amongst 18-24 year olds. A further one in five (19%) sports fans would be prepared to miss opening presents with the family to watch sport on the TV.
The research reveals that 39% of UK adults will watch televised sport this Christmas with further 25% saying they would watch live Barclays Premier League football if it was played on Christmas Day. Over half of all (56%) of men will watch sport on the TV over the Christmas and New Year period compared to just over a fifth (22%) of all women. People aged between 25 and 34 are most likely to watch sport over Christmas with almost half (47%) planning to tune in.
More than one in ten of UK men (11%) will plan their Christmas and New Year celebrations around the Barclays Premier League TV schedule. People in the North East are most likely to put TV sport first with 15% of all adults willing to change their Christmas plans to make sure they can watch sport on TV compared to just 5% in the East Midlands.
The research show that London has the lowest number of festive sports followers, with only a third of adults (33%) planning to watch sport over the Christmas period, while in the North West as many as 47% will be tuning in to watch their team. Sport fans in the North East are more willing than anywhere else to give up family time with 53% saying they would rather watch their team on the television.
Marc Watson, CEO TV Group BT, said: “The UK is a nation of sports fans and our research shows that watching live sport is a priority for a large proportion of the people over Christmas. The festive season is one of the busiest periods in the sporting calendar and it seems Christmas is a popular time for watching your favourite team on the television.”
He adds: “BT Sport aims to bring more sport to people’s homes and we have a fantastic line up of exclusively live sport over the festive period with top pick Barclays Premier League matches, Aviva Premiership Rugby and five NBA matches from the US on Christmas Day.”
BT Sport has a packed schedule over Christmas with top pick Barclays Premier League ties including double header feasts of football on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. On Boxing Day, viewers can enjoy West Ham United v Arsenal at 3pm, followed by Manchester City v Liverpool, kicking off at 5.30pm. On New Year’s Day, fans can nurse their hangovers by tucking into the double delight of Southampton v Chelsea at 3pm and then Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur at 5.30pm.
Rugby fans can also enjoy some top rugby fixtures as 2013 Aviva Premiership champions Leicester Tigers take on current leaders Saracens on the 21st December. Exeter Chiefs also travel to Twickenham stadium to meet Harlequins for the “Big Game” on 28th December.
BT Sport will also show five exclusively live games from the NBA on Christmas Day with a further eight live match-ups before New Year Day.