London's secret sporting obsessions including F1 and tennis
Football has always reigned supreme as the UK’s ultimate sporting obsession, but how do other sports line up in 2026?
Brand-new research from Northerner has uncovered an unexpected sporting landscape once the nation’s top sport is taken out of the picture. The research surveyed Premier League football fans to find out their other favourite sport, and the results paint a vivid and sometimes surprising portrait of Britain’s sporting identity.
Across England, Formula 1 stands out as a powerhouse, accelerating into first place in Birmingham (33%), Brighton (43%), Leeds (33%), London (38%), Manchester (33%), Nottingham (34%), and Sheffield (38%). With so many people across England backing F1 as one of their favourite sports, England looks to be the home of the UK’s motorsport fanbase.
But Formula 1 isn’t the only sport commanding a serious following across the UK. Somewhat surprisingly, tennis enjoys enormous popularity across several regions. While we might expect tennis to be popular in Greater London, the home of Wimbledon, where 38% also say it’s their top sport after football, it's also a favourite in Edinburgh (35%), Liverpool (37%), Norwich (36%), and Southampton (38%).
Other regions reveal their own unique sporting passions. In Newcastle, cricket bowls its way to the top with 31%, marking one of the most surprising results of the study. Meanwhile, in Belfast, rugby takes a comfortable lead at 31%, as well as in Bristol (36%), Cardiff (32%), and reflects these cities' deep-rooted ties to the sport.
In Glasgow, boxing/combat sports take the number one spot, with 27% voting for combat sports. Meanwhile, in Plymouth, the top three sports were split evenly between Formula 1, tennis and rugby. Together, these findings show that although football remains the UK’s favourite sport, cities and regions have their own unique sporting traditions and passions once football is removed from the equation.
Across the UK, the top ten most popular sports, after football, are:
- Formula 1 - 33%
- Tennis - 32%
- Rugby - 24%
- Cricket - 24%
- Boxing/ Fighting - 23%
- Golf - 20%
- Athletics 20%
- Swimming - 19%
- Basketball - 19%
- Darts - 16%
Markus Lindblad, Head of External Affairs at Northerner, said: “These results offer a completely fresh perspective on how people in different cities in the UK have connected with different sports. Football has historically been the favourite, but this survey shows us a much more complex and colourful story of British sporting passions. Whether it’s the recent surge of Formula 1 fans, the widespread appeal of tennis, or the enduring strength of rugby, every UK region has its own sporting personality.”
Northerner is a proud supporter of darts and sponsors top player Danny Noppert. Darts have seen a major resurgence over recent years, with 16% of the UK saying they are fans. It’s difficult to predict which sports will capture the zeitgeist over 2026, but padel and darts certainly appear to be rising to the top of the table.