The start of the World Cup is being seen as a welcome lifeline for pubs and bars across the United Kingdom. With the tournament under way, pub bosses are hoping the event will deliver a much needed boost to their revenues over the coming weeks.
Football fans are expected to play a big part in that. According to the figures cited, supporters watching the matches in their local pubs are set to increase pub and bar sales by 116 million pounds this summer.
There will also be more time to enjoy the games. Supporters heading to the pub can benefit from extended licensing times during the late England and Scotland matches in the knockout stages, allowing venues to stay open longer for the key fixtures.
The timing could hardly be more important for the trade. Figures from the British Beer and Pub Association show that two pubs are currently closing every day, underlining the pressure the sector is under despite events like the World Cup.
Kate Nicholls, of the industry body UK Hospitality, described the World Cup as a peak moment for the sector. She said that, for those who cannot travel to the Americas to watch in person, the next best place to cheer on their team is the local pub, enjoying the camaraderie of watching as a group.
But she warned that the underlying costs facing the industry remain too high. Nicholls said the cost of doing business needs to be cut for hospitality as a whole, pointing out that 75 percent of the sector's profits are returned to the government in tax.
She added that hospitality is the most highly taxed part of the economy, at twice the level of financial services, and called for taxes to be cut. She acknowledged the government had made a start, noting that this summer it cut VAT for young people and families going out.