REVEALED: England’s World Cup final is expected to be watched by 13.7MILLION people in the UK on Sunday… with Lionesses fans set to spend £103m on food and drink for the showdown with Spain
- Sunday’s World Cup final is expected to reach a bumper TV audience in the UK
- England fans are expected to spend significantly on food and drink to celebrate
- WATCH: Wiegman CAN’T recall Lauren James, Mail Sport’s Chris Sutton says
England fans are set to spend big on food and drink ahead of Sunday’s Women’s World Cup final against Spain – before tuning in to the TV in bumper numbers.
Sarina Wiegman’s Lionesses made the final after seeing off Australia in Wednesday’s semi-finals, and now the showpiece finale features an English side for the first time since the men made the World Cup final in 1966.
As many as 13.7 million people are expected to tune into coverage on BBC One or ITV, as England and Spain face-off for the title in Sydney.
The kick-off time of 11am on UK shores will also be beneficial to many supporters, who have had to suffer through some early starts during the tournament so far.
Before the World Cup started, savings website VoucherCodes.co.uk issued a spending report, projecting how the country’s finances would be boosted by the ongoing tournament in Australia and New Zealand, as reported by The Guardian.
Up to 13.7 million people are expected to tune into TV coverage of England’s World Cup final
The final is set to boost the UK’s economy by £185m, with retail spending reaching £137.8m
The report suggested that 11.1m people would watch the final at home – with some splashing out on new TVs for the event, akin to the rush seen surrounding the men’s World Cup.
A further 2.6m will be watching from pubs, bars, or restaurants, giving a significant boost to the hospitality sector.
Calls were made for national licensing rules to be adjusted to allow pubs to serve pints before 11am to fans keen to settle their nerves with an early drink.
While nationally the regulations remain in place, Cornwall is one of the places where the police and the council have agreed not to take action against those that open at 10am, an hour before kick-off. Other areas of the country are expected to follow suit.
In total, it is thought that the final will boost the UK economy by £185m, with retail spending expected to reach £137.8m in the run-up to Sunday’s final at Stadium Australia.
Over £100m is set to be spent on food and drink. Demand at supermarkets has been across the board, with Waitrose stocking more breakfast items and English fizz for the game, and Aldi expecting sales of crisps, burgers and prosecco to be significantly higher than usual because of Sunday’s festivities.
A further 2.6 million people will be watching from pubs, bars, or restaurants across the country
Sarina Wiegman’s Lionesses made Sunday’s final with a 3-1 win over Australia on Wednesday
Merchandise, electricals and decorations are also going to be in demand, while sportswear has also proven to be a popular choice for fans who want to dress like their favourite players – if the option is available to them.
Following England’s semi-final win against Australia, Google searches for Lionesses kit skyrocketed – although both the England online store and Nike have struggled to match demand with availability.
Boohoo revealed that searches for ‘Lionesses kit’ have exploded by 3,981% above the average volume in the last 90 days in the hours following the 3-1 win in Sydney.
Nike are expected to pay England a bonus of around £1m if Wiegman’s side bring home the trophy on Sunday, but it follows a summer of criticism aimed at the sportswear giant.
Nike decided not to sell a replica version of England’s goalkeeper shirt throughout the tournament, which led to criticism from fans eager to represent Mary Earps.
The Man United shot-stopper even hit out at the move before the World Cup, saying: ‘I can’t really sugarcoat this any way so I’m not going to try, it’s hugely disappointing and very hurtful.
‘It’s something that I’ve been fighting behind closed doors. I’ve been desperately trying to find a solution with the FA and with Nike.
England will wear their blue away kit again against Spain in the final final as they seek history
Officially, licensing laws remain, but some local authorities will allow early alcohol sales
‘Unfortunately it’s become very evident that is not possible and there’s not going to be an acceptable solution for the young kids out there.’
The FA were forced to respond, saying a plan was in place to get shirts into production in the future – although it’s far too late for fans this weekend.
Like they did in Wednesday’s semi-final victory, England will wear their blue away kit in Sunday’s final as they try to make history in Sydney.
If they are successful, the Lionesses will become just the third women’s side to hold both the European Championships and World Cup at the same time, following last year’s success at Wembley Stadium.
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