The holiday season is one of the busiest times of the year for bars, restaurants, and commercial spaces. With shoppers and diners everywhere looking for a place to relax, recharge, and enjoy themselves, creating an environment that entertains and engages customers is more important than ever. One of the most powerful tools for achieving this? Live sports content.
Live sports bring energy, excitement, and a sense of community that pre-recorded or talk shows simply can’t match. They capture attention and spark conversation, turning routine visits into memorable experiences. For bars, restaurants, and casinos, this engagement translates into longer visits, increased sales, and repeat customers who return week after week. In fact, 49% of operators say that displaying sports programming increases length of stay, reinforcing just how powerful live sports can be.
And that impact only grows during the holiday season, when customers are actively looking for places that feel lively, comfortable, and entertaining.
Why the Holidays Are the Perfect Time to Up Your Sports Game
During the holiday season, shoppers are in and out, looking for ways to take breaks between errands, grab a quick meal, or unwind with friends. Live sports provide continuous entertainment, giving customers a reason to stay longer and return throughout the season. In fact, 58% of consumers are more likely to try new establishments when they’re showing a premium sporting event, making the holiday rush the perfect time to attract fresh foot traffic.
Unlike talk shows or reruns that fail to hold attention, sports content keeps energy levels high, creates shared experiences, and helps your business stand out. Establishing a reputation as the place to catch the action during the busy holiday season can pay off well beyond December, customers will remember the experience and keep coming back all year long!
ESPN+ for Business: Nonstop Live Sports Coverage
With ESPN+ for Business, your screens are always tuned to live sports action. From college basketball, NHL, and so much more, there’s something for everyone –– just live coverage available morning, afternoon, and evening. To see everything you get with an ESPN+ for Business subscription, check out our blog “ESPN+ for Business: The Must-Have Sports Subscription for Bars and Restaurants” During the holidays, this all-day programming keeps customers entertained, encourages longer visits, and makes your business the destination of choice for sports fans and holiday shoppers alike.
Make Your Establishment the Place to Be this Holiday Season
When you purchase an a la carte event or subscription through Joe Hand Promotions, we’ll help take your live sports game to the next level by providing our Best Practices Guide, a detailed resource packed with post-event strategies, cross-promotion tactics, and customer retention ideas to help you keep the action going. Also, your establishment would be listed on our bar finder, powered by FANZO, so that fans can easily find your bar or restaurant. By building a reputation as the place to catch the action now, you’re setting your business up for lasting success well into the new year.