Cost of living crisis keeping football fans in their living rooms, poll suggests

Saving money on travel, food and tickets is of high importance to supporters, survey finds

Saving on travel and food was among the top reasons for watching at home (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The best things about watching football at home are a guaranteed comfy seat, cheap beer and actually being able to hear the commentary, according to a survey.

A poll of 2,000 football enthusiasts found 45 per cent preferred watching a match from the comfort of their sofa rather than in person.

And nearly one-quarter found it much easier to concentrate on the game without crowd distractions.

Money also played a big factor, with 65 per cent expecting to watch most of their football at home this season rather than at stadiums due to the cost-of-living crisis.

More than half of respondents said the best thing about watching on TV was the reduced cost, including savings on travel and food.

Other benefits of watching the action at home included not having to queue for toilets (48 per cent) and no heads blocking the view (40 per cent).

David Bouchier, from Virgin Media O2, which commissioned the survey, said: “Live sport is something everyone should experience and the atmosphere is unmatched.

“But watching at home still has its benefits, as our research shows, with many finding it as enjoyable and also helps save money.”

One-quarter of those polled liked not having to worry about fighting traffic, while one-fifth cent enjoyed being able to pause the action while taking a toilet break.

Being able to change the channel if their team was losing also appealed to 13 per cent of respondents.

On average, football fans estimated they would watch 18 games at home next season, compared to just five live in stadiums and five in pubs.

But with Premier League matches shared between multiple broadcasters, six in 10 were confused about what TV or broadband provider to choose when it came to watching the Premier League for the best value.