More than half have watched women’s football over past 12 months

More than half of UK adults have tuned in to watch women’s football over the past twelve months, according to new research from UK beer brand Carling. In a poll of more than 2,000 UK adults, Carling – sponsor of the Adobe Women’s FA Cup – found more than three in five (62%) men have watched a match over the past year and nearly half (49%) of women, with those aged 25-34 the most avid viewers (64%).

55% say they are more likely to watch now than they were twelve months ago. On average, Brits are tuning in to around seven women’s football matches each year, with two in five watching at least once a month.

And with pubs across the country looking for opportunities to get customers through the door, 32% of people said they would be more likely to visit their local if they had women's football on the TV. When watching a match, a lager or a soft drink are the top choices of drink for one in five (21%), while cider is preferred by 12% and a glass of wine for 11%.

Lee Willett, Carling Brand Director at Molson Coors Beverage Company, said: “It’s an incredibly exciting time to be a part of Women’s football. Audiences continue to grow as the success and increasing popularity of the domestic game inspires a whole new legion of fans.

“Carling’s identity has its roots in football and our partnership with the Adobe Women’s FA Cup is a perfect match, helping us to promote the incredible game which continues to gain more and more fans. In fact, last weekend’s final at Wembley was a sell out for the second year running, proving its popularity.”

Carling became the first official beer partner of the Adobe Women’s FA Cup in 2023 and continued to back the competition in 2024, as well as sponsoring TalkSport’s coverage of the Adobe Women’s FA Cup and supporting women’s football at a grassroots level.

Over the past three years, Carling has teamed up with Umbro and pub partner Stonegate to give away over 200 kits to grassroots teams. Most recently, Carling collaborated with Grassroots Goals on social media to give clubs the chance to win even more kits ahead of the 24/25 season.