Brits are trading in nightclubs and cocktails for hot dogs and touchdowns as new research from Stubhub UK has found that over half (51%) attend NFL games purely for the social scene.*
The ticket marketplace found that Brits are now less interested in actually watching the sport, claiming that soaking up the overall atmosphere, tasting different foods and socialising with friends over a beer are the biggest draws for them when watching the NFL – nearly a third (32%) even claimed that going to an NFL game would make for a better night out than watching a football game.
When it comes to watching sports, it seems it’s also all about the ‘likes’ and upping your social media game, as one in five British NFL fans (23%) admit that taking selfies during a match is a must.
What’s more, the study found that another big draw for NFL-goers is the food and drinks on offer, claiming that traditional American foods such as hot dogs, burgers, nachos and beer are enough alone to tempt them along to support.
As well as trumping a night out, Brits increasingly feel safer at NFL games, as over one in four (27%) claim that they would feel more comfortable attending an NFL game over a football match.
When asked to explain key rules and terminology for a variety of different sports, as many as 49% of Brits didn’t know the answer – the likes of ‘travelling’ in basketball, knowing what a touchdown is and being ‘501 up’ left at least four in five (80%) of the public baffled. What’s more, when asked how many players make up an NFL team, as many as 98% of Brits didn’t know the correct answer.
Nonetheless, despite Brits puzzling themselves over the ins and outs of NFL rules and regulations, the sport still remains the leading social sport of the year, as the study proves that as many as one in five (21%) Britons are more interested in American sports than they were five years ago.
According to the StubHub UK research, at least 63% of Brits couldn’t tell you what the role of the quarterback – the player who organises and calls their team’s attacking plays – is. The top five answers provided by the British public when asked to describe a quarterback’s position are:
- They are simply the biggest player in the squad
- They maintain the lawn of their home ground
- They control the cheerleaders
- They keep count of the touchdowns
- They act as the second referee
Tickets for London’s NFL games and more can be found online at https://www.stubhub.co.uk/, subject to availability and upcoming gig dates.
StubHub’s FanProtect promise means that every resale order is protected by the FanProtect Guarantee, meaning that fans will receive genuine tickets or a comparable replacement ticket, or their money back.
*Research based on a representative sample of 2,000 adults living in the UK by Censuswide in October 2019