The Sky Business division of Italian pay-television broadcaster Sky Italia has detailed the impact that its sports coverage has had on the business of bars and restaurants in the country.
Sky Business also caters to hotels, betting outlets and offices. It has released findings from a report conducted on its behalf by research, data and insight company Kantar.
The report states that 40 per cent of Italians follow football matches in public places such as bars and restaurants, adding that eight out of 10 of these people claim to be regulars for these businesses.
Moreover, during sporting events, businesses are said to have reported an increase in spending by customers of up to 30 per cent. The study covered the period spanning October 2018 to March 2019.
“The results of the survey confirm that Sky, with its rich offering dedicated to public premises, is proving to be an increasingly important asset for the success of retail businesses,” Matteo Arpini, Sky Business director, said, according to the Calcio e Finanza website.
“Sports programming, which this year is even more complete, helps to attract and retain customers and create new opportunities for aggregation, with a consequent increase in attendance and consumption.
“There was also excellent audience data recorded in the premises during the 2018-19 season for the main football competitions. Serie A totalled four million viewers, the Uefa Champions League stood at 2.8 million and the Europa League on 1.5 million.”