With the Republic of Ireland facing a must-win game as they host Denmark in their final Euro 2020 qualifying fixture, we look at the football fans in the Republic of Ireland and how they interact with the sport.
Our TGI Consumer Data shows that 26% (1 million people) of adults in the Republic of Ireland are interested in football. When it comes to participation, 12% of adults play football either regularly or occasionally.
How to capture this audience
With so many people in the Republic of Ireland interested in football, a lot of eyes will potentially be watching the Euro 2020 game as they look to qualify for next year’s tournament. Pretty much all football fans in Republic of Ireland have of course watched live sport in the last 12 months, but where do they watch it?
79% of football fans who watch sports programmes do so on TV at home, but out-of-home viewing is also a big market, with 28% of this group stating that they have watched live sport in a pub, bar or club in the last 12 months.
Why are they valuable?
Many of the Irish football fans go to the pub, bar or club to watch live sport, so there is potential for these establishments to profit from an increased influx of fans. Football fans in the Republic of Ireland are 43% more likely than the average adult (aged 18+) to say that Irish beers are the best. This rings true when looking at their favourite brands, as 20% of this group drink Guinness as one their most often consumed beer brands. The second favourite beer isn’t Irish however, with 18% of football fans saying they drink Heineken as one their most preferred brands. Our TGI Consumer Data also shows that they are 35% more likely than other adults to agree that it’s worth paying extra for good quality beer.
Football fans are also of potentially great value to marketers through sponsorship. They are 28% more likely than the average adult to agree that they prefer to buy products from companies who sponsor TV programmes and 24% more likely to agree they prefer to buy products from companies who sponsor sports events and teams.
This group are willing to pay for a better service or access. Football fans are 23% more likely to be willing to pay to access content on magazine websites and 22% more likely to agree they tend to go for premium rather than standard goods and services.
TV and premium services are key ways to reach this audience
One potentially very efficient way to target football fans in the Republic of Ireland is through TV, especially with a large proportion of them watching sport on TV at home and the fact they are more likely to buy products from companies who sponsor TV programmes and sports events and teams. Despite this, a large number still regularly visit pubs, bars and clubs to watch live sport, and this group tend to prefer Irish beers or Heineken and are willing to pay extra for better quality beer. Beer, however, isn’t the only thing they are willing to pay for, they are more likely to pay for premium services and to access content on magazine websites.