It is no secret that the Brits are massive sports fans who follow several sports at once and cheer indefinitely.
But some sports are more exciting and more loved by the Brits, so we’ve put together a list of the most followed sports in the U.K.
Table of Contents
Football
Football is the most popular sport to watch in the U.K. and the most popular team sport. In England, around 1.9 million people are playing football at least twice per month as of 2020.
The Premier League is the biggest and most widely-known football league globally, with football fans from all around the globe. This league is home to some of the most popular football teams, such as Liverpool, Manchester United, and Arsenal.
There are more than 100 football teams in this country, where 92 professional football clubs regularly participate in domestic cups such as the F.A. Cup and the Capital One Cup.
The first football club in the U.K. and the world was Sheffield Football Club, founded in 1857.
It led to the creation of the Football Association in 1863, which found the first rules of the modern football game.
Cricket
Cricket is one of the most popular sports in the U.K., played in the country since the 16th century. Nowadays, in the U.K., there are 18 professional country clubs.
Every summer, these clubs participate in the First Class County Championship.
In 2020/21, in the U.K., 181,500 people had played cricket at least twice a month. Approximately 65% of the population of England follows cricket.
Tennis
Tennis is another trendy sport in the U.K. that is growing in participants and spectators.
It is host to one of the most famous tennis tournaments globally, Wimbledon, played in England since 1877.
Wimbledon is one of the four grand slam tournaments parts of the ATP Tour. The U.K. has many excellent public facilities throughout its territory, which offers tennis to the general public at little to no cost.
Horse Racing
Horse Racing is the second most followed sport in the U.K., with a history that has lasted for several centuries or, more specifically, since the 16th century.
This sport alone generates £3.39 billion in the British economy, showing what horse racing means to this country.
Throughout the season, several horse racing events in the U.K. bring the attention of thousands of fans, where the most popular are the Cheltenham Festival, The Grand National, Guineas Festival, Newmarket, Epsom Derby Festival, and the Royal Ascot.
The Royal Ascot is possibly the most prestige horseracing event, loved by horseracing fans. Many fans try their luck on the famous Ascot Gold Cup, where some of them are trying out the Thursday Day 3 tips.
Badminton
Badminton is the most popular racket sport in the U.K., with its popularity continuously on the rise. In 2020, around 747,000 people were participating in Badminton in England alone.
The Badminton Association of England, now known as Badminton England, was established in 1893 and governed badminton in the country.
It is also the founding member of the International Badminton Federation, which provides support for 41 countries in league structures.
Ice Hockey
The Brits have been playing ice hockey since the 20th century.
Until 1938, their men’s national team won one Olympic gold medal and several medals at the World Championship but has never won the competition.
Ice hockey wasn’t amongst the most-watched sports for a more extended period, but that changed a few years ago when the men’s national team made its way into the Ice Hockey World Championship. Today, ice hockey is the most-watched indoor sport.
