Tap into February's football feast

There’s nothing like a domestic cup final to get people through the doors of pubs up and down the country, no matter who they support. This year’s Capital One Cup final is held on 28 February at Wembley Stadium, giving licensees just over three weeks to consider offers, promotions and social media activity to help ensure a packed venue on the day.

Not only does the match provide both sides and their supporters with the opportunity to earn the first bragging rights of the season, but it also gives pubs a chance to show how good their venue is for watching live football. This is particularly important as we head into the business end of the league season and with Euro 2016 on the horizon in the summer.

Any cup final is a big event, especially when it is between two of the country’s biggest and most well-supported sides — Manchester City and Liverpool. For those fans without a ticket to the match, and for all other football fans who will be tuning in, the pub will be the place to go to watch the match for some added atmosphere and communal viewing.

A huge double header​

What’s more, the match forms half of a bumper Super Sunday on Sky Sports, with Manchester United v Arsenal shown live beforehand, offering licensees the chance to attract fans earlier, spending more on food and drink, and fans who have specifically come to watch that match are likely to stick around to watch the final.

With such a big Sunday for live football, it’s important to put posters up early to advertise you’ll be showing all the action, making sure the date is in your customers’ minds throughout February. Sky Sports customers can make use of the free posters they receive with their monthly Preview​ magazine, and can go to myskysports.com to download more for free.

Licensees and pub staff can also download social media assets from there to put on Twitter and Facebook in the days and weeks beforehand to give their venue extra publicity as the place to watch both matches.

Time for a promotion​

As with any major sporting event, a cup final gives licensees extra scope to get creative with promotions that will attract customers and keep them in their venue for longer, spending more money. Why not offer a discount on Chilean wines and German beers in celebration of the respective managers of Manchester City and Liverpool - Manuel Pellegrini and Jürgen Klopp? Or you could run a sweepstake for customers, where they choose the minute in which the first or last goal will be scored.

Everyone’s a winner​

Whether Manchester City emerge triumphant, as they did in 2014 on their way to a Premier League and League Cup double, or Liverpool lift the trophy for a ninth time, Capital One Cup final day is set to be a big one for pubs and bars.

While the likes of Agüero, Silva and Coutinho are likely to provide the spark on the pitch, it’s pubs and bars that can really shine on 28 February as they benefit from the unmissable action exclusively live on Sky Sports.

Sport working for the Royal Mortar, Colchester​

Landlord Paul Bugg of the Royal Mortar describes his pub as “proper old-fashioned and atmospheric”. He has darts and pool for his customers, as well
as showing lots of live sport.

But it’s Sky’s Go Further Range that has really helped him make his pub stand out and to get people in.

With three HD TVs and two viewing cards, Bugg takes pride in the Royal Mortar being a sports pub with the best viewing and surround-sound. Bugg said: “I make sure sport works for us and, by doing that, I am more than getting my money back on what I pay for Sky. If you use your subscription properly, you will get value for money.

“When there are two games showing at the same time on one night, we’ll advertise and show both. It means we can attract more people to the pub. For licensees who are thinking about getting a second card, I would say go for it as it’s well worth it.

“For me, Sky has the best live sports coverage, hands down. You put Sky on and know you are getting a great product. It’s just the best for sports broadcasting and my customers appreciate that.”