Nearly three in 10 consumers planning to tune into the FIFA World Cup agree that many of their Christmas gift buys will be football-related.
New research from eBay Ads finds more than a third (38%) of people planning to watch the FIFA World Cup are more excited about the tournament than Christmas.
The survey of 1,000 UK adults also revealed that 39% of viewers are planning to watch the tournament at home, with just 12% saying they will watch from a pub or an organised screening, as the influence of a non-traditional winter World Cup takes hold.
Among World Cup viewers, 29% agree that they intend to invest in electronic items like TVs, soundbars and projectors – to host World Cup parties. During the 2021 Euros tournament, searches on eBay for ‘soundbar’ almost doubled on the day of the England versus Ukraine match, compared to the same day the week before.
The female influence
Search data from eBay concluded that a female football fanbase is swelling – and brands must take note.
During the 2021 Euros, searches for ‘girl’s football kit’ rose twice as much on the day the men’s England team beat Denmark – 7 July 2021 – in the semi final compared to the same day the previous week.
Fast forward a year, the England womens’ team’s win of the 2022 Euros tournament impacted even higher on search volumes. During the month of the tournament searches for ‘women’s england shirt’ and ‘women’s football shirt’ also doubled in volume compared to the previous month.
Upasana Gupta, GM, eBay Ads UK, said: “Consumers have revealed they’ll be switching their sunglasses for scarves as they hunker down at home to watch the tournament, as well as securing sporting gifts for their loved ones’ stockings this year. It’s therefore important that brands and sellers alike are prepared for football spirit to influence spending behaviour as consumers invest in everything from kit to electronics.”