Most Fans Won’t Be Watching Qatar 2022 World Cup At Pubs Or On Big Screens: Survey

The World Cup may be a time for fans around the globe to watch games together and enjoy the “World Cup atmosphere”, but many people say they don’t intend to watch this winter’s World Cup, and most of those who are watching Qatar 2022 will be doing so from the comfort of their armchairs.

Footage of fans watching matches on a big screen or at fan parks have been a feature of recent World Cups. FIFA has a few official fan parks around the world, and this year is holding official FIFA fan festivals in Mexico, Brazil, South Korea, Dubai and London as well as in Qatar. Other big screens will be set up around the world, but they could be quieter this year than at previous tournaments.

More than half of the UK population watched England’s loss to Italy in the final of the UEFA 2020 European Championships, but a consumer survey by adtech company LoopMe found that only 29% of respondents in the UK intend to watch the World Cup.

The survey of more than 4,429 British consumers also found that 84% of those planning to watch the tournament planned to do so from home. Just 8% said they would watch games at a pub or similar venue.

The cold weather might put some people off watching games at an outdoor screen this year. Usually in Seoul, for example, thousands of people watch South Korea’s games on outdoor screens around the city, but with temperatures there during the late-night kickoffs likely dropping to around freezing, watching outside is probably a less attractive option than usual.

In the UK though, only 4% of those planning to watch the games at home said cold weather was the reason behind their decision. 25% of respondents though did say they preferred a summer world cup because of the weather, with 17% saying they were unhappy with the winter world cup interfering with other sports schedules.

The cost-of-living crisis also only appears to be a minor factor behind British consumers staying home to watch the World Cup, with just 14% saying they were watching at home due to costs. Rather 58% of those watching at home said they planned to do so simply because it was more comfortable.

The World Cup is less popular among consumers in the United States and in Singapore, with just 10% of U.S. respondents and 26% in Singapore saying they plan to watch the tournament.

But they were more likely than UK respondents to get out of the house to watch the games.

While 84% of UK respondents are planning to stay home, just 76% of respondents in the States and 68% of those in Singapore were going to watch the games from the comfort of their armchairs.

The survey also found that 16% of U.S. respondents watching the tournament were planning to invite friends over to watch the games, while 30% of those in Singapore planned to have friends over. 4% of respondents from Singapore plan to watch the game at an outdoor screen, twice that of the U.S.