World Boxing Championships 2025 boosted local economy in Liverpool by more than £4 million

The World Boxing Championships, held in Liverpool in September 2025, boosted the local economy by more than four million pounds and delivered multiple economic, social and reputational benefits for the city.

A new evaluation report by Quantum Consultancy calculated that the Championships delivered an overall economic impact of £4.03 million with many of the prime beneficiaries being local hotels, shops, and businesses in the hospitality sector, with visitors spending £1.83 million over the course of the competition.

The Championships also brought lasting benefits to thousands of people in local communities across the City Region through an extensive and wide-ranging social impact programme, covering education, health, fitness, wellbeing, community cohesion and volunteering, along with a series of cultural initiatives to highlight Liverpool’s deep and longstanding connections with the sport of boxing.

The Social Impact Programme was delivered by England Boxing and Liverpool City Council and was supported by event partner, Brabners, which is a purpose-led independent law firm that has offices in Liverpool and across the North West region.

As a result, more than £50,000 worth of boxing equipment was distributed post-event to local clubs; more than 1,000 tickets were distributed to schools and clubs; and an ‘Unsung Heroes’ project recognised 19 people from boxing clubs for their contributions to the grassroots of the sport with a series of portraits, photographs and stories that were exhibited at St George’s Hall for the duration of the Championships.

A bespoke literacy programme, ‘Literacy Kicks’, created learning opportunities for more than 1,200 Primary School children in Liverpool and over 2,700 people in the boxing community participated in a series of Mental Health Fitness workshops, delivered in partnership with the charity, Movember.

Along with the ‘Unsung Heroes’ Exhibition, other cultural programmes delivered by Culture Liverpool included an Artist Residency Project, which created images and a short film to showcase stories from within the grassroots boxing community in Liverpool.

An aerial theatre production and supporting educational workshop, ‘Me vs Me’, designed to explore the duality of mental health and the instinct of fight and flight, was created by the Wired Aerial Theatre and delivered to a number of schools and youth providers across the City.

Nearly 8,000 spectators bought tickets for the event, with 92 per cent describing their experience positively while 96 per cent rated Liverpool as a good or very good host city.

55 per cent of tickets were purchased by spectators from outside of the Liverpool City Region, with 43 per cent coming from other parts of Great Britain, four per cent from Ireland and eight per cent from the rest of the world. Following their stays, 94 per cent of out-of-town spectators said they would recommend visiting Liverpool to friends and family.

Local sentiment was also very favourable, with 95 per cent of Liverpool residents expressing interest in hosting the event, or similar boxing events, again, and 94 per cent stating they felt proud that Liverpool staged the inaugural World Boxing Championships.

Nationally and internationally, the television coverage and promotion of the event on social media showcased Liverpool to a huge audience. According to the report by Quantum, 955 hours of action were broadcast around the world and seen by a cumulative audience of 5.32 million. On social media, the Championships had 27 million views and generated 831 million impressions globally.

The World Boxing Championships also broke new ground in terms of sustainability and minimising environmental impact through a comprehensive programme delivered in partnership with ACC Liverpool.

100 per cent of energy used in the venue came from renewable sources and all branding was either fully recycled or donated to local boxing clubs post-event. A detailed knowledge transfer programme has been created from the Championships so that future major events staged in Great Britain can benefit from the learnings.

Liverpool’s City Council’s Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Culture, Councillor Harry Doyle, said: “As a city, we are well-known for delivering huge, world-class events and we are always delighted to host prestigious competitions like the World Boxing Championships.

“Not only did it generate a £4m boost to our economy, it also supported local businesses and our hospitality sector, and created lasting benefits for our people and our communities. As this report shows, the Championships brought multiple economic and social benefits to thousands of people across our city through wrap-around cultural activities, social impact programmes, and volunteering opportunities.”

The President of World Boxing, Gennadiy Golovkin, said: “The World Boxing Championships 2025 was great event for Olympic style boxing and a fantastic platform for our male and female boxers to showcase their skills and abilities to a huge global audience.

“I know from speaking personally to many of the boxers at the Championships that they were very impressed with the staging and organisation of the competition and I would like to thank the Local Organising Committee and all of their partners for hosting and delivering a world class event that has delivered a wide-range of benefits to both the sport of boxing and the host city of Liverpool.”

Jason Harborow, Chair of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) Event Steering Group, said: “The World Boxing Championships was a fantastic event for the sport and the city of Liverpool and I would like to thank all of the LOC stakeholders and partners that did such a great job of making it happen from the initial bid process to the delivery of the 10-days of competition at the M&S Bank Arena.

“The boxers produced a world class competition and it is fantastic to see that the Championships have delivered so many wider benefits to both the sport and the city, which once again demonstrated to a worldwide audience that Liverpool is a brilliant place to host major sporting events.”

Esther Britten, Head of Events and External Affairs at UK Sport, said: “The World Boxing Championships has been a great example of how major events when hosted in the UK can drive economic growth while also delivering a positive and lasting social impact for host communities.

“Liverpool was an outstanding host, and the report shows why investing national lottery funding in major events matters, bringing communities together and showcasing the UK’s ability to deliver world-class sport on the international stage.”

Matt Holt, Chief Executive, GB Boxing, said: “It was great for the boxers in our squad to be able to compete in a major championship at home where they performed very well, winning four medals, and really appreciated the support of the home crowd and the chance to box in front of family and friends.

“The Championships were a superb experience for our boxers who enjoyed the opportunity to compete in Great Britain, and it is great to see that the event was so well received by people in Liverpool and that hosting it has delivered so many wider benefits to people and communities across the city.”

Jerome Pels, England Boxing’s Chief Executive Officer said: “Hosting the World Boxing Championships was about much more than what took place in the ring. It also gave us a chance to use boxing to make a real difference in communities across the city and region.

“Working with Liverpool City Council and supported by Brabners, our Social Impact Programme reached thousands of people through education, health, wellbeing, volunteering and cultural activities, while also leaving a lasting legacy for grassroots clubs. From helping young people with literacy and mental health to celebrating the unsung heroes who keep the sport going, this work shows just how powerful boxing can be in bringing people together and truly transforming people’s lives.”

Lydia Edgar, partner and head of sport at Brabners, said: “The Championships were a historic moment for boxing on its road back to the Olympics and LA28. The event was a powerful reminder of the role sport can play in delivering social impact – from inspiring young people to shining a light on the values of discipline, respect and resilience. Liverpool once again proved itself to be a world-class host city, bringing together communities and showcasing the very best of boxing on a global stage.”

Liverpool hosted the World Boxing Championships, 4-14 September 2025, following a successful bid that was developed by a group of partners which comprised England Boxing, GB Boxing, Liverpool City Council and the M&S Bank Arena, with the support of the National Lottery and UK Sport. Event partners included Sting, Nike Boxing, Brabners, the Liverpool Bid Company and Visit Liverpool.

A summary of the report by Quantum Consultancy is available HERE.