However, the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) said pubs will be unable to make the most of the trade boost on Sunday 13 June because of ongoing Covid restrictions.
Almost nine in 10 (85%) football fans have said restrictions will harm the experience of watching the Euros at the pub this summer, according to a survey conducted for the BBPA.
Pubs’ capacities will be limited by social distancing rules and friends will only be able to gather in groups of up to six to watch the games indoors.
Beer sales during England’s opening game will be almost 1m pints lower than a game shown without restrictions, the BBPA has said.
Lost revenue
This will amount to a loss of revenue of £3m on Sunday, the trade body added.
Some 10m pints will be sold on Sunday, with 3m of those sold during the game itself.
It comes as the Government has been urged by the BBPA to stick to its ‘countdown to freedom’ and remove all restrictions on the trade from 21 June as per its unlocking roadmap.
However, concerns about the spread of a new and more transmissible variant of coronavirus have cast doubt on these plans.
“Nothing beats watching England at the pub,” BBPA boss Emma McClarkin said.
Numbers limited
She added: “Unfortunately, the current restrictions on pubs do mean the experience isn’t going to be the same. No standing and limits on group sizes, as well as social distancing, are going to severely reduce the number of people who can enjoy the game in the pub.
“Because of this, we expect pubs to sell 1m pints fewer than they would have done without restrictions. That will cost our pubs £3m on Sunday alone. Given our pubs have been closed or faced restrictions for more than a year, every little helps and is critical to our recovery and survival.
“More and more people are getting the vaccine each day. It’s time for the restrictions on our freedoms to be replaced by the protection of the vaccination and for businesses and life to get back to normal. The countdown to freedom is on.”
