As a sports bar owner or manager, you’re probably always looking for new ways to attract new fans and expand your customer base. Easier said than done, we know! But we do have a few suggestions for you to research that may just work!
We have five different groups of guests that you may be missing out on:
1. FAMILIES
Families may not seem like a perfect fit for a sports bar environment, but that might only be because you may not be providing them the right content.
Have you considered WWE? WWE is a leader in global entertainment that delivers family-friendly entertainment to more than 800 million households worldwide. Its content allows for Sunday evening storylines that appeal to younger crowds and ultimately to families. WWE events usually happen earlier on Sunday evenings which brings in family crowds who want to watch while having dinner and drinks.
Bringing on WWE content will attract families due to the WWE’s initiative for attracting a younger fan base while having a PG rating. WWE focuses on using the younger demographic to then attract parents to their product, which can bring the family dynamic into your bar to watch the full WWE event.
2. MILLENNIALS
Almost all combat sports, like UFC, AEW, Triller, and boxing, will attract both male and female millennials. Your bar can use the up and coming All Elite Wrestling and Triller Fight Club as a means to introduce the new sports to your bar. With these events, along with the popularity of the UFC and boxing content, you can bring in these new fan groups and fresh sports content that also excites your existing customers. This is your way to find a connection to millennials and bring more of this demographic into your bar.
3. DAYTIME CUSTOMERS
You may consider the afternoon to be your bar’s slowest traffic time. But there are options out there to help with foot traffic. Take PGA TOUR LIVE for example. PGA TOUR LIVE is available most Thursdays through Sundays, and is packed with extended coverage throughout the daytime. The schedule also features more than 30 golf tournaments per year.
If you are worried about the lack of daytime traffic at your bar, then adding this content combined with all the other content on ESPN+ for Business is the perfect way to change your quiet afternoons into a buzzing environment.
4. COLLEGE STUDENTS
Obviously, college students are interested in their own college teams. But, sometimes, the games they are looking for aren’t available on regular channels. ESPN+ for Business often offers exclusive college basketball and football games that students aren’t able to get anywhere else, such as select Big 12, SEC, and American Conference football games. This is an opportunity for your bar to be the saving grace for these fans to catch their team.
Similarly, Barstool Sportspresents Rough ‘N Rowdy as another exciting way to get new content playing in your bar. Rough ‘N Rowdy is described as “the wildest mix of humanity you may ever see in a boxing ring or planet earth” which goes to show the type of fun content you can get with this subscription. Dave Portnoy, Founder and President of Barstool Sports, says, “During these events, you get funny and engaging content unlike any other fight promotions. RnR is the best event we do. Its insane, unpredictable action. It’s unparalleled absurdity.” This type of content is perfect for the college student who is attracted to rough-around-the-edges sport content and who are also familiar with Barstool Sports and their figure heads.
5. NEW FANS STILL TO FIND!
You never know what is going to be popular next month. Keep your eye out for up-and-coming content that seems to be making waves in the sports industry. There are always more fans to be found, and you could be the first to find them!
Take Triller Triad Combat as an example! Through the new, revolutionary sport, Triadis forming a new group of fans. The new sport sees fighters competing in a specially designed regular ring. It consists of two-minute rounds featuring pro boxers competing against MMA fighters. So, not only is this sport bringing in boxing fans to your bar, but it also attracts MMA fans to then create one hybrid type of fan. This is the perfect opportunity to create unity within your bar and attract two different sport fan bases at once.
Finding content which will bring in new demographics can be challenging, but not impossible. We hope that the different examples above makes your life a little easier. Always remember, there are opportunities out there that you haven’t thought of yet. Keep thinking outside of the box!