Britons' appetite for attending sports events is unequalled anywhere in the world, according to a study released on Wednesday that found more than 75 million visits were made in 2012. The figure was boosted by the 11 million tickets sold for the London Olympics and Paralympics, while horse racing and equestrian events accounted for five of the top 10 non-Olympic events with the biggest crowds, accountants Deloitte said.

Dan Jones, of Deloitte's Sports Business Group, said: "The British public's appetite for attending sporting events, in absolute terms and relative to its population size, is unmatched anywhere in the world." The Wimbledon tennis championships retained their place as the best-attended event, with 485,000 spectators, while the British Grand Prix Formula One race was second with nearly 300,000 people attending.

Deloitte said Britons also watched television coverage of sport in huge numbers. Twenty million saw Usain Bolt retain his 100 metres Olympic title and six million watched British amputee sprinter Jonnie Peacock win the T44 100m at the Paralympics. Football's perennial attraction to British audiences was reflected in the 42 million visits made to matches in the top five tiers of England and Scotland's four league divisions.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2012