The cost of the beautiful game: How watching football is pushing your hearing to the limit

Where football meets hearing health

2026 is the year of football. Whether you're a long-time fan rooting for your home team or someone who just tunes in to catch their country's big moment in the World Cup, this year has seen some of the most dramatic footballing moments in years, with more set to come as the international competition kicks off.

When it comes to watching football, especially big matches like cup finals, other than the stadium itself, there's no better atmosphere than in the pub, celebrating amongst friends and fans. In fact, 12 million fans are expected to watch England's World Cup campaign in pubs across the country.

However, alongside the joy (or misery) of the beautiful game, audiologists are urging fans to take caution when watching their team in noisy environments, to limit the potential impact on hearing health.

That's why we've carried out a study to understand exactly how many football fans are considering their ear health when it comes to watching football, how many are aware of the potential impact, and how many are taking preventative measures.

90 minutes towards hearing loss

For many, the concept of watching football in the pub leading to potential hearing loss might never have crossed their mind, however various previous studies show that prolonged exposure to noise levels above 90 dB, even for just 50 minutes, can permanently damage the delicate structures of the inner ear and have a lasting impact on hearing. Whilst pubs do have noise restrictions in place, during intense football matches, decibels in pubs can exceed 100 dB, so there's a real health risk that many aren't considering.

Darren Horne, audiologist at Boots Hearingcare says: "This year, for example, if you're an Arsenal fan who watched every Premier League, FA Cup, Champions League and EFL match at the pub, you'd have sat through 62 matches in total - that's 5,580 minutes without factoring in extra time.

"On top of that, if you're supporting England this summer and (fingers crossed) they make it to the final, you're looking at an additional 720 minutes in the pub. Considering just 50 minutes of exposure can cause hearing issues, if you're exposed to noise levels of 90 decibels for this length of time, your hearing is highly at risk of long-term damage."

Our survey data* shows that nearly two in five (37%) UK adults frequently watch football matches in pubs, attending several times per tournament, with nearly one in twenty watching every game (3%). Those aged 25-34 are most frequently watching football in the pub with 15% watching almost every game, compared to 12% of 34-44 year olds, 5% of those aged 45-54 and 7% of 55-64's.

Darren says: "Previous research from RNID shows that there are high levels of younger generations, including Gen Z and Millennials, reporting that they've experienced hearing loss or tinnitus after listening to live music, and our data tells a similar story for football fans. These age groups are amongst the most likely to watch football in the pub, and they're also the most likely to have experienced tinnitus after doing so (64% of 35-44, and 59% of 25-34, have experienced this more than once)."

"Often, hearing loss gets stereotyped as a health issue that only impacts older people, but this couldn't be further from the truth. Whilst the permanent impact of exposure to high decibel levels might not show up instantaneously, the long-term effects of decisions in your teens, twenties and thirties can be life-changing."

The awareness and impact gap

So, are people aware of the impact watching football in the pub can have on hearing health?

Nearly two-thirds of those surveyed said they are aware (62%), however only 37% of these people have worn ear protection, such as ear plugs, to watch a match.

Darren says: "The data shows an interesting disparity between awareness and action, yet again leaning into the notion that people are far less likely to take their hearing health seriously in comparison to other health issues. It's so important that people take action to protect their hearing and prevent any long-term issues."

When comparing the difference in hearing protection awareness and action between genders, women are more likely to be aware of the dangers of the noise levels when watching football in pubs (67% vs 58% of men).

Almost half of the women that are aware of the issue have worn ear protection to watch matches, compared to just a quarter of men who are aware of it (26%). This highlights a huge difference between the two - with almost three quarters of men that are aware of the negative impact not taking any action to prevent it.

Darren shares: "ONS data shows that men are less likely to have visited a doctor recently than women, with other studies also making the link that men are far less likely to attend consultations than women. Our research lines up with this, revealing the concerning fact that despite having good levels of awareness on the issue, men are far less likely to put preventative measures in place.

"There are so many reasons people might avoid talking about hearing loss - audiologists have heard it all! Whether it's feeling like you'll look 'old' wearing hearing aids, feeling like it's not that big a deal, or feeling pressured by society's expectations of what it is to 'be a man' - ultimately, the earlier you take precautionary measures, the more likely you are to avoid hearing issues as you get older."

Sources:

*Survey of 1,004 UK adults in May 2026