England's Quarter-Final Could Bring Half a Billion Pounds to British Economy

As the England squad prepares to face Norway tonight, pubs, takeaway food providers, and television networks are anticipating a significant surge in sales, reports The Guardian.

The third quarter-final of the World Cup is projected to inject nearly £500 million into the British economy through sales, with fans expected to consume 9.3 million pints of beer. Venues selling tickets to watch the match are among the biggest expected beneficiaries, with many selling out within hours of the final whistle that sealed England's 3-2 victory over Mexico on Monday night.

While outdoor fan zones traditionally see beer flowing freely, London's Kenton Arms pub expects to be pouring mostly aquavit tonight – a Norwegian spirit made from potatoes, flavored with caraway and dill. The establishment anticipates 70 to 80 percent of its customers tonight will be Norwegian, as it has become a popular meeting spot for the Norwegian diaspora in the British capital.

The tournament has already provided a substantial boost to the hospitality sector. According to UKHospitality data, pub sales on match days have increased by 77 percent compared to regular weekdays. For tonight, the sector is expected to generate £27.5 million from the sale of an additional 5.5 million pints of beer, as reported by the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA). Many fans will also gather to watch the match on outdoor screens.

Live broadcasts of matches on BBC and ITV regularly cut to footage of celebrating fans – or, in Scotland's case, fans drowning their sorrows in stunned silence – at outdoor venues, such as those operated by Boxpark in London and Liverpool.

Matt Snell, CEO of the street food and entertainment company, stated that each match can generate £500,000 in revenue from ticket, drink, and food sales. "If we reach the final, for us, it will be an event on the scale of Christmas and the entire month of December," he said.

"On Monday, at Boxpark Wembley, there were 2,000 people at 4 AM for the Mexico match. Tickets for the quarter-final went on sale at 5 AM and were sold out by midday," he added.

He shared that drink sales aren't as high as in previous tournaments, primarily because matches kick off at inconvenient times. Nevertheless, England's continued progression through the tournament means that projected additional sales are exceeding the company's expectations. "We had made calculations up to the round of 16, so everything from here on is a bonus for us," Snell concluded.