The Office for National Statistics says nearly one million tourists attended a Premier League football match last year, helping to boost the British economy by spending $US1.12 billion ($A1.09 billion).

The 900,000 visitors also spent an average of $1,256. That represents an increase from 2010, when 750,000 foreign fans watched a game and spent $1,268.

The most popular teams to visit were Manchester United and Liverpool. London clubs Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham were the next most popular.

According to the research, many of the football-watching visitors came from Ireland (174,000), Norway (80,000), the United States (61,000), Spain (54,000) and Germany (48,000).

The research shows that 1.3 million visitors attended a sports event in Britain. The other popular sports were golf, rugby and cricket.