The Most Popular Sports to Watch and Bet on in the UK

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The United Kingdom is a global powerhouse when it comes to competitive sports. This country has a rich and diverse sporting heritage that rallies countless fans across the UK and around the globe on a larger scale. In fact, in a recent report, it was discovered that 63.8% of British adults were engaging in the 150 minutes a week of physical activity that is medically recommended, and a large portion of this comes from playing sports. The UK loves its sports, and even if some people don’t play themselves, it can’t be denied that millions enjoy watching and betting on professionals in a variety of different fields. With this in mind, let’s take a look at three of the most popular sports to watch and bet on in the UK.

Number One: Football

Football is, without a doubt, the most watched and, consequently, the most bet on sport in the UK. England alone has an impressive 92 professional, premier league-level teams, many of which, such as Manchester United and Liverpool, have a rich history. On top of this, it is estimated that a massive 38% of UK adults would call themselves a ‘football fan.’ With this in mind, it is no surprise that football bets make up 45% of all sports bets wagered in the UK, with most being placed on big matches held within the Premier League and Champions League. That being said, many UK sports bettors have reported finding that the sportsbooks offered to UK residents and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) are too restrictive, and so have instead turned their attention to offshore non gamstop betting sites. Doing so not only gives them greater betting freedom, but it can also provide them with a wider variety of betting options alongside impressive bonuses for both new and seasoned punters that sportsbooks in the UK simply cannot match.

Number Two: Tennis

Tennis might not be the first sport to come to a person’s mind when they think about what sports are most commonly watched and bet upon in the UK, but these people would be forgetting one key event, Wimbledon. Wimbledon 2025 has just ended here in the UK and saw Italian Jannick Sinner taking home the cup and prize money. During the almost two weeks of games, it has been revealed that BBC Sport received a record-breaking 69.3 million online requests for Wimbledon content from around the world, which, according to the most recent census, is more than the entire population of the UK. The betting world also benefited from this increased attention to the sport, and Wimbledon itself is one of the key reasons why Tennis is the fifth most popular sport to bet on overall in the UK.

Number Three: Rugby Union

However, Wimbledon is a yearly event, and when it is not running, it is Rugby Union that takes the second spot for most watched sport in the UK. This is especially the case in England and Wales, both of which have produced extremely talented and successful teams. Every year, there are a variety of high-stakes games being played in Rugby Union, and huge events such as the Six Nations and the Rugby World Cup bring in countless fans from all across the UK. The thrill and naturally high-stakes nature of Rugby Union make it an ideal sport for bettors to wager on, and thousands do so, so much so that Rugby Union now makes up 10% of all sports bets wagered in the UK.

Conclusion

Although these three sports generate a lot of attention from sporting fans and sports bettors across the country, they are by no means the only ones to do so. Cricket, boxing, golf, even motorsports, all have huge followings up and down the UK, are watched by millions and regularly see sportsbettors placing bets on them. Sport has a way to bring the residents of the UK together in a way that nothing else can. It fosters and strengthens communities and helps generate a feeling of pride for this brilliant country. Sports are a part of our history and they have come to mean so much more to us than a simple game or pastime.