Data from adult site Simple Escort has recorded a 20% increase in user sessions in the 24 hours following England and Scotland World Cup football matches. The pattern held across all group stage matches like England v Croatia, Scotland v Haiti, England v Ghana and Scotland v Morocco. Interestingly, it’s a trend that appears regardless of the result, with fans turning to sex workers for comfort as well as celebrations. And with 42.71% of the adult site’s users being football fans, that’s a lot of late-night romps.
Sex workers share their experiences
Elizabeth Romanova, a professional full-service escort with Vivastreet, has been escorting for several years, turning to sex work after craving more independence and flexibility than an office job could give her. Now in her 30s, she’s had plenty of encounters with England fans after football matches, and for the most part, despite emotions running high during the games, they’ve been pleasant customers.
‘Most football fans I’ve met have been perfectly respectful,’ Elizabeth tells Metro. ‘Occasionally, someone who’s had a few drinks after a match can be louder or more excitable than usual, but in my experience football supporters haven’t been a group that are problematic.’
Domestic violence concerns
Of course, football has long been associated with dangerous or misogynistic behaviour post-match, with incidents of domestic violence surging by 38% when England lose, and by 26% when they win, according to Women’s Aid. But, in Elizabeth’s experience, this doesn’t necessarily extend to sex workers.
‘Poor behaviour is more likely to involve someone being overly demanding, arriving drunk, trying to negotiate boundaries, or speaking disrespectfully,’ she says. ‘Physical violence hasn’t been my typical experience, and I wouldn’t want people to assume that’s common. I find most England fans to be respectful. I don’t judge clients based on whether they’re football supporters. I judge them based on how they communicate and behave as individuals.’
Safety first
If she does have a bit of a dicey encounter, which she hasn’t recently, Elizabeth says it’s an ‘unpleasant feeling’. ‘Everyone deserves to be treated with respect, regardless of their profession,’ she says. ‘Professional boundaries are important, and it’s disappointing when someone doesn’t recognise that. If someone makes me uncomfortable before we meet, I simply decline the booking. If a client behaves inappropriately during an appointment, I will end the booking if necessary. My safety always comes first.’
Historical pattern
This appetite to engage with sex workers after an instalment of The Beautiful Game isn’t a new development. Following England’s World Cup quarter-final defeat to France in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, fans turned to cam models on Babestation for some tlc. Comfort-led interactions rose by 44%, with users spending 18% longer interacting with models after losses than after wins.
A Babestation spokesperson tells Metro: ‘A winning football bet can completely change a fan’s mindset. The final whistle goes, people are still riding the emotion of the result and many feel like they have extra money to spend after a successful bet. That combination consistently drives higher engagement and spending.’
Betting boosts engagement
Men were most likely to book in with a sex worker for a private online session if their team had won and they’d placed a winning bet. Those who’s bets had come in were 42% more likely to start a session within an hour of the final whistle, than those who hadn’t cashed in. They were also 23% more likely to tip during a live show.
‘If England go deep into the tournament, we’d expect those post-match spikes to become even more pronounced as the stakes get higher,’ the spokesperson adds. And, with England heading into the quarter-finals to face-off against Norway, it seems that the adult industry is set to reap the rewards.
