With both the World Cup and Wimbledon fully underway, appliance company Beko has released new research which has found roughly three quarters (77%) of sports fans now regularly host matchday watch parties at home for their friends and family.
This was one of the findings of the company’s Summer of Sport research, which polled more than 5,000 people from 10 companies about their home hosting habits.
Beko found that 44% of 25 to 34-year-olds said they regularly invite friends or family to their homes to watch sports. Meanwhile, only 21% of those aged over 55 said they regularly hosted others for major sporting events.
The report also showed that cleaning up after a watch party as well as preparing food on time were the joint top kitchen pressures during a sport watch event, with both being described as their biggest pressure by 22% of those polled.
This was followed by 21% who struggle to keep drinks cold, 17% who blamed struggling to find enough fridge space, and 16% who admitted they struggled with cooking multiple things at once.
On match days, Beko found that fridges were the most-used appliance in the kitchen, with 42% of fans saying they were the appliance they used most often. This was followed by 29% of people who use their ovens or stoves to cook food for others during events.
Interestingly, the research shows that Germans prepare to host friends and family further in advance than any other nation, with around half (48%) of German consumers saying they prepared “days in advance”.
“Home has become the preferred venue for major sporting events,” commented Ragıp Balcıoğlu, Beko’s global chief marketing and strategy officer. “Our research shows that fans want to spend less time managing food and drinks and more time enjoying the match with their guests. That’s exactly where intelligent appliances can make a difference.”
