By Claire Rutter

Not even a wedding can stop Brits from checking the footy results, a new study has revealed. 

As a sport-obsessed nation, half of Brits admit they hide in the toilets to catch up on the score when they’re at an event, while one in 10 confess to sneaking away at a wedding so they can watch a final.

In just six months, fans have watched almost a billion hours of sports on Sky, and the new survey of 2,000 adults shows the extraordinary lengths sports fans will go to ensure they don’t miss out.

Work doesn’t get in the way either, with nearly four out of 10 (38%) admitting to snatching a glimpse while on the clock, with 20% watching up to five hours a week on company time. But it doesn’t stop there - if there’s a clash, one in three Brits (30%) will go so far as to cancel meetings or miss important deadlines to catch their favourite sport.

The nation’s dedication to sports comes at a cost, with over a third (36%) admitting they use all their mobile phone data to stream sports.

(Image: SKY / Matt Young / Cover Images)

Ahead of the start of the new Premier League season, half (49%) of sports-obsessed people confess that they've tried to cancel summer plans to watch sports events live, with one in 10 prepared to skip a friend's wedding or a meeting at their child’s school to watch a big game. We even have a list of excuses, from faking an illness to working late and even a family emergency so we can watch a game.

Brits have also admitted to some extreme tactics to avoid spoiling important game results before they have a chance to catch up, from avoiding social media (45%) to staying off the internet entirely (36%), and even leaving group chats (12%). 

Amber Pine at Sky Connectivity, said: "We’re a nation of sport lovers and many Brits are streaming sports on the go as our research shows major football matches drive a 13% spike in mobile data usage."

The top 10 unconventional places Brits watch sports:

  • At work (38%)
  • During a family event (30%)
  • In the car (25%)
  • In the toilet (21%)
  • In a hospital waiting room (17%)
  • During a friend’s birthday party (15%)
  • During a meeting (9%)
  • At a wedding ceremony (8%)
  • During Christmas dinner (8%)
  • In the garden shed (8%)

As the football season begins, fans will have even more sport to stream as Sky Sports+ gives access to 50% more live sports via live streams, the mobile app and a dedicated new channel, all at no extra cost. The new launch offers more coverage than ever before from the EFL, both tennis Tours and men’s Super League, all which Sky Mobile customers can stream via the Sky Sports app.