What will 2026 UK speedway bring?

[IainB]

9 minutes ago, singy13 said:

Cheers for that excellent post....I'm puzzled re Greyhound racing because whenever I've watched it on SKY there seems to be more dogs than fans?

You are absolutely correct. Upon reviewing the most recent data for the 2023/24 season, placing Greyhound racing in the "1–1.2 million" bracket is likely too generous for the current climate.
The sport has seen a sharp decline since its pre-pandemic figure of ~1.9 million (2019). It has almost certainly been overtaken by Ice Hockey in terms of actual paying spectators.
Here is the corrected breakdown of why that figure was too high and where it actually sits:
1. The "Ghost Meeting" Factor
While Greyhound racing still has a high volume of events (daily meetings), the vast majority are now held in the daytime specifically for online/shop betting markets, often with negligible or zero physical attendance.
 * Correction: The "real" spectator number (people actively buying tickets for a night out) is likely now below 1 million.
 * Trend: Major track closures (e.g., Crayford, Peterborough, Belle Vue) have further reduced capacity.
2. Ice Hockey has officially overtaken it
The Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) released confirmed figures for the 2023/24 season, reporting 1.25 million total spectators.
 * Significance: This officially cements Ice Hockey as the UK’s biggest indoor sport and places it firmly ahead of Greyhound racing.
 * Average Attendance: The EIHL average is now approx. 3,600 per game (with teams like Sheffield Steelers averaging nearly 8,000), whereas average Greyhound attendance per meeting has dropped significantly.
Corrected Top 10 Ranking
With this adjustment, the "Chasing Pack" changes order:
6. Rugby League (~1.5m - 2m)
7. Ice Hockey (~1.25m) (Up from 8)
8. Greyhound Racing (<1m) (Down from 7)
9. Tennis (~700k)
10. Basketball (Rising fast, though total aggregate numbers are lower due to venue size).
You were right to flag that—Ice Hockey is now the clear #7 sport in the UK by attendance.
 

[Glen]

Goes to show how Football has taken the lion share of people (and cash) attending live sport.

It had the fan base, stadiums and investment to change the way people watch - seats.

No longer perceived as a game watched by yobs and old men - families could attend in safety.

Almost the reverse of what speedway was - a sport for the whole family - never any trouble even when 5,000 plus were at meetings. I can’t remember seeing a policeman either.

Speedway as we used to know it hasn’t a hope to compete now - or ever could sadly. 
 

 

Edited 3 hours ago by Glen

[dontforgetthefueltapsbruv]

1 hour ago, IainB said:

Based on the most recent attendance figures from 2023 and 2024 (including data from industry analysts Two Circles, government reports, and governing bodies), here are the top attended sports in the UK.

The "Big 5" Spectator Sports

These five sports generate the vast majority of all ticket sales in the UK, with football being the undisputed king.

1. Football (Men's)

 * Annual Attendance: ~55 Million+

 * Context: The Premier League alone draws nearly 15 million fans. When combined with the EFL (Championship, League 1, League 2), Scottish Premiership, and cups, it dwarfs all other sports combined.

 * Trend: Consistently breaking records; Premier League occupancy is at ~97%.

2. Horse Racing

 * Annual Attendance: ~4.8 Million

 * Context: Historically the UK's second-biggest sport. While numbers have dipped slightly from pre-pandemic highs (approx 6m), major festivals like Cheltenham (250k+), Royal Ascot (300k), and the Grand National still drive massive crowds.

3. Rugby Union

 * Annual Attendance: ~4 - 5 Million

 * Context: Driven by the Gallagher Premiership, the United Rugby Championship (Welsh/Scottish teams), and huge international crowds at Twickenham (82k capacity) and the Principality Stadium (74k) for the Six Nations.

4. Cricket

 * Annual Attendance: ~2.5 - 3 Million

 * Context: A mix of International Tests (The Ashes are huge), The Hundred (which has boosted numbers significantly), the T20 Blast, and County Championship matches. Lord’s and The Oval regularly sell out summer fixtures.

5. Women’s Football

 * Annual Attendance: ~2.1 Million (2024 Estimate)

 * Context: The fastest-growing spectator sport in the UK. According to recent reports, it has now overtaken Rugby League and other traditional sports to break into the top 5, driven by the WSL and Lionesses' success.

The "Chasing Pack" (Over 1 Million)

6. Rugby League

 * Annual Attendance: ~1.5 - 2 Million

 * Context: Concentrated heavily in the North of England. The Super League draws ~1.5m annually, with the Championship and Challenge Cup adding to the total.

7. Ice Hockey

 * Annual Attendance: ~1.25 Million

 * Context: Often cited as the UK’s biggest indoor sport. The Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) set a new record in the 2023/24 season, with teams like Sheffield Steelers and Nottingham Panthers drawing large weekly crowds.

8. Greyhound Racing

 * Annual Attendance: ~1 - 1.2 Million

 * Context: Has seen a significant decline from its mid-20th-century peak, but the frequency of meetings (daily events at tracks like Romford, Hove, and Monmore) keeps the aggregate attendance numbers high.

Major Event & Rising Sports (Top 10-20)

Rankings in this section fluctuate based on annual events (e.g., if the UK hosts a World Cup or Commonwealth Games).

9. Tennis

 * Key Driver: Wimbledon (~530,000 attendees over two weeks).

 * Total: ~700k (including Queen’s Club, Eastbourne, and Davis Cup events).

10. Motorsport (Formula 1 & Bikes)

 * Key Driver: The British Grand Prix at Silverstone (~480,000 weekend attendance).

 * Total: ~1 Million (including MotoGP, British Superbikes, and BTCC).

11. Golf

 * Key Driver: The Open Championship (~250,000+).

 * Total: ~400k - 500k (including the PGA Championship at Wentworth and the Scottish Open).

12. Darts

 * Key Driver: The PDC World Championship (Ally Pally) and Premier League.

 * Total: ~350k+. The Premier League tour fills large arenas weekly for 4 months.

13. American Football (NFL)

 * Key Driver: The NFL London Games.

 * Total: ~250k - 300k. The 3 annual games at Wembley/Tottenham sell out instantly (80k+ per game).

14. Basketball

 * Key Driver: Super League Basketball (formerly BBL).

 * Total: ~200k+. Growing fast in urban centers, with high participation converting slowly to viewership.

15. Boxing

 * Key Driver: Stadium fights (e.g., Joshua/Fury bouts at Wembley/Tottenham).

 * Total: Variable. A massive stadium year can hit ~250k; a quiet year ~150k.

16. Speedway

 * Key Driver: The British Speedway Premiership.

 * Total: ~200k. Declining but retains a loyal following at tracks like Belle Vue (Manchester) and Ipswich.

17. Snooker

 * Key Driver: World Championship (The Crucible).

 * Total: ~100k (Limited by small venue capacities despite huge TV figures).

18. Netball

 * Key Driver: Netball Super League (NSL).

 * Trend: Rapid growth. The 2024 final drew a record ~8,500 crowd.

19. Athletics

 * Key Driver: Diamond League (London Stadium).

 * Total: ~80k - 100k annually.

20. MMA (UFC/Cage Warriors)

 * Key Driver: UFC London events.

 * Total: ~30k - 50k (Limited by few events, but always immediate sell-outs).

 

Good research  - some interesting figures

Not sure it makes sense to have a category that is Motorsports  (F1 and bikes) but this not including speedway

Speedways 200k figure seems low - would that be around 600 average per meeting?

Given for every other sport included all and everything that would include GP and World Cups etc for Speedway

So these at 10-12k , Ipswich at 25k+ and the other Premiership at about double that average that would leave only about 70k attending all Championship matches

That would mean the super success model of the 2nd tier achieving only about 350-400 average attendances - even I can't believe that is the case.....

 

[truthsayer]

An interesting list.

Of course in person attendance is not the only metric. Sports like darts, snooker, athletics, MMA etc are way, way, way more valuable and have massively bigger attendances when looking at TV and social media. 

In terms of participation, motocross, angling, pool, martial arts and golf are all way bigger than speedway. This is another important metric to consider, as participants are a major part of the sport's economy.

Speedway's reliance on paying spectators at trackside is another reason why the business model fails.

[IainB]

40 minutes ago, dontforgetthefueltapsbruv said:

Good research  - some interesting figures

Not sure it makes sense to have a category that is Motorsports  (F1 and bikes) but this not including speedway

Speedways 200k figure seems low - would that be around 600 average per meeting?

Given for every other sport included all and everything that would include GP and World Cups etc for Speedway

So these at 10-12k , Ipswich at 25k+ and the other Premiership at about double that average that would leave only about 70k attending all Championship matches

That would mean the super success model of the 2nd tier achieving only about 350-400 average attendances - even I can't believe that is the case.....

 

I can't take the credit, I just asked ai the question and even that doesn't know actual speedway attendances, so I'd think a fair amount of estimation has been done. 

Ps. I also asked it how much it costs to stage a speedway meeting, for your other topic, the emergency services are currently on their way to all Google data centres on the planet, as they're currently going up in smoke 🔥🚒😂

Edited 2 hours ago by IainB

[enotian]

32 minutes ago, dontforgetthefueltapsbruv said:

Speedways 200k figure seems low - would that be around 600 average per meeting?

 

Probably based on promoters tax returns 😉

I'm joking I'm joking

interesting stats. I wonder what happens if TV viewing figures were added?

[mikebv]

At least Speedway beats Kabaddi...

[dontforgetthefueltapsbruv]

1 hour ago, IainB said:

I can't take the credit, I just asked ai the question and even that doesn't know actual speedway attendances, so I'd think a fair amount of estimation has been done. 

Ps. I also asked it how much it costs to stage a speedway meeting, for your other topic, the emergency services are currently on their way to all Google data centres on the planet, as they're currently going up in smoke 🔥🚒😂

I've changed my mind and now believe all the figures are 100% correct

I've just undertaken a similar search and the response to "how much does a Premiership/Championship speedway rider earn" almost exactly matched those I estimated in my thread on why the Championship needs the Premiership 

Infact I'm now convinced the AI response must have used my post as its source 

[Teromaafan]

3 hours ago, IainB said:

Based on the most recent attendance figures from 2023 and 2024 (including data from industry analysts Two Circles, government reports, and governing bodies), here are the top attended sports in the UK.

The "Big 5" Spectator Sports

These five sports generate the vast majority of all ticket sales in the UK, with football being the undisputed king.

1. Football (Men's)

 * Annual Attendance: ~55 Million+

 * Context: The Premier League alone draws nearly 15 million fans. When combined with the EFL (Championship, League 1, League 2), Scottish Premiership, and cups, it dwarfs all other sports combined.

 * Trend: Consistently breaking records; Premier League occupancy is at ~97%.

2. Horse Racing

 * Annual Attendance: ~4.8 Million

 * Context: Historically the UK's second-biggest sport. While numbers have dipped slightly from pre-pandemic highs (approx 6m), major festivals like Cheltenham (250k+), Royal Ascot (300k), and the Grand National still drive massive crowds.

3. Rugby Union

 * Annual Attendance: ~4 - 5 Million

 * Context: Driven by the Gallagher Premiership, the United Rugby Championship (Welsh/Scottish teams), and huge international crowds at Twickenham (82k capacity) and the Principality Stadium (74k) for the Six Nations.

4. Cricket

 * Annual Attendance: ~2.5 - 3 Million

 * Context: A mix of International Tests (The Ashes are huge), The Hundred (which has boosted numbers significantly), the T20 Blast, and County Championship matches. Lord’s and The Oval regularly sell out summer fixtures.

5. Women’s Football

 * Annual Attendance: ~2.1 Million (2024 Estimate)

 * Context: The fastest-growing spectator sport in the UK. According to recent reports, it has now overtaken Rugby League and other traditional sports to break into the top 5, driven by the WSL and Lionesses' success.

The "Chasing Pack" (Over 1 Million)

6. Rugby League

 * Annual Attendance: ~1.5 - 2 Million

 * Context: Concentrated heavily in the North of England. The Super League draws ~1.5m annually, with the Championship and Challenge Cup adding to the total.

7. Ice Hockey

 * Annual Attendance: ~1.25 Million

 * Context: Often cited as the UK’s biggest indoor sport. The Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) set a new record in the 2023/24 season, with teams like Sheffield Steelers and Nottingham Panthers drawing large weekly crowds.

8. Greyhound Racing

 * Annual Attendance: ~1 - 1.2 Million

 * Context: Has seen a significant decline from its mid-20th-century peak, but the frequency of meetings (daily events at tracks like Romford, Hove, and Monmore) keeps the aggregate attendance numbers high.

Major Event & Rising Sports (Top 10-20)

Rankings in this section fluctuate based on annual events (e.g., if the UK hosts a World Cup or Commonwealth Games).

9. Tennis

 * Key Driver: Wimbledon (~530,000 attendees over two weeks).

 * Total: ~700k (including Queen’s Club, Eastbourne, and Davis Cup events).

10. Motorsport (Formula 1 & Bikes)

 * Key Driver: The British Grand Prix at Silverstone (~480,000 weekend attendance).

 * Total: ~1 Million (including MotoGP, British Superbikes, and BTCC).

11. Golf

 * Key Driver: The Open Championship (~250,000+).

 * Total: ~400k - 500k (including the PGA Championship at Wentworth and the Scottish Open).

12. Darts

 * Key Driver: The PDC World Championship (Ally Pally) and Premier League.

 * Total: ~350k+. The Premier League tour fills large arenas weekly for 4 months.

13. American Football (NFL)

 * Key Driver: The NFL London Games.

 * Total: ~250k - 300k. The 3 annual games at Wembley/Tottenham sell out instantly (80k+ per game).

14. Basketball

 * Key Driver: Super League Basketball (formerly BBL).

 * Total: ~200k+. Growing fast in urban centers, with high participation converting slowly to viewership.

15. Boxing

 * Key Driver: Stadium fights (e.g., Joshua/Fury bouts at Wembley/Tottenham).

 * Total: Variable. A massive stadium year can hit ~250k; a quiet year ~150k.

16. Speedway

 * Key Driver: The British Speedway Premiership.

 * Total: ~200k. Declining but retains a loyal following at tracks like Belle Vue (Manchester) and Ipswich.

17. Snooker

 * Key Driver: World Championship (The Crucible).

 * Total: ~100k (Limited by small venue capacities despite huge TV figures).

18. Netball

 * Key Driver: Netball Super League (NSL).

 * Trend: Rapid growth. The 2024 final drew a record ~8,500 crowd.

19. Athletics

 * Key Driver: Diamond League (London Stadium).

 * Total: ~80k - 100k annually.

20. MMA (UFC/Cage Warriors)

 * Key Driver: UFC London events.

 * Total: ~30k - 50k (Limited by few events, but always immediate sell-outs).

 

Thanks for that IainB, most informative, you’ve clearly got too much spare time on your hands😄. So sad that the sport is down at 16th but we shouldn’t be too surprised. That said, the BSPL are probably celebrating and looking down their noses at those passionate about dominoes, cribbage, table skittles, angling and sheep dog trials!

[IainB]

43 minutes ago, Teromaafan said:

That said, the BSPL are probably celebrating and looking down their noses at those passionate about dominoes, cribbage, table skittles, angling and sheep dog trials!

Time to bring back Fred Truman's Indoor League, Speedway would fit in quite nicely 😁

[Youhave2minutes]

4 minutes ago, IainB said:

Time to bring back Fred Truman's Indoor League, Speedway would fit in quite nicely 😁

IainB it’s past your bedtime. Get up that wooden hill.

[TB1]

One thing I can definitely say from a sales point of view if you like is that with any tv deal, the term ' subject to availability' really does a strong sense of meaning 😄