Revealed: The INSANE amount of money Aussies spend on following their favourite teams – and you won’t believe how many of us take sickies to watch sport

Sport-obsessed Aussies on average are spending over $400 per person to watch their favourite teams live each week – with the nationwide cost a staggering $19billion plus.

The jaw-dropping figures follows research commissioned by ING Australia earlier this month.

Factoring in tickets, food, drinks, flights and accommodation, seeing the likes of Collingwood or Brisbane Lions in the AFL or Cameron Ciraldo’s Bulldogs at a NRL fixture doesn’t come cheap, with the game-day experience costing at least $408.

It doesn’t end there – supporters who invest in streaming platform services at home such as Kayo and Paramount+ are coughing up an average of $44 per month, totalling $534 annually.

And close to 80 per cent of passionate sports followers are willing to spend up to $200 on a brand-new team jersey.

Additionally, 25 per cent of surveyed fans admitted they would skip a close friend or family member’s birthday celebration if their team was in action, while 17 per cent would be prepared to miss an anniversary dinner.

Shockingly, 12 per cent revealed they would forgo attending a wedding or funeral, and 8 per cent – equivalent to approximately 791,000 Aussies – would miss the birth of their child or grandchild if there was a clash.

Astonishingly, 3.8 million Aussies admitted to planning a holiday or weekend away coinciding with watching their favourite team play live.

Furthermore, close to 1.3 million Aussies have called in to work sick when a major sporting event is staged, such as the NFL Super Bowl each February.

And some fans are even willing to travel overseas to get their sporting fix – earlier this month, more than 45,000 fans flocked to Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas as the 2025 NRL season officially kicked off.

Four rugby league matches were staged at the venue, as the NRL boldly looks to break into the lucrative US sports betting market as part of a five-year plan.

Matt Bowen, Head of Consumer and Market Insights at ING Australia, felt the report findings reflected the nation’s insatiable appetite for sport.

‘Sport clearly isn’t just a pastime for Aussies; it is a major part of our lives,’ he said.

‘From planning holidays around games to chucking sickies, the financial commitment is huge – we are looking at over $19 billion a year just on attending live games and streaming services.

‘It is amazing how far some fans will go, but the financial trade-off might be worth it. 

‘The research also showed half of all Aussie sport fans say that its helped them create lasting memories with friends and family – and a third say its helped them make new friends. 

‘Overall, it is incredible how our love for sport impacts our wallets and lives.’