FEATURE: Be a winner as football stars return to Premier League

England’s run to the final provided a huge fillip for pubs with some exceptional trading days. Now stars of the tournament are preparing to get back to business in the Premier League.

It all kicks off on Friday 16 August with Manchester United hosting Fulham on Sky Sports. It’s the first of 128 games from the country’s top league that the broadcaster will screen this season­.

The line-up should give businesses a boost with 75% of licensees with Sky saying live sport helps increase their revenue throughout the year (Sky Business Ipsos Customer Landlord Survey, 2023).

TNT Sports’ campaign begins with Premier League new boys Ipswich Town welcoming Arne Slott’s Liverpool to Suffolk. Subscribers to TNT Sports will be able to show 72 games this season, with 20 games broadcast by Amazon available as part of commercial packages.

Drama is guaranteed but it takes more than switching on the TV to fully make the most of the opportunity that the Premier League brings.

Screen time

That said, making sure you have high-quality audio-visual equipment is vital in creating a memorable matchday atmosphere.

Isaac’s on the Quay in Ipswich has been trading for almost 20 years but this will be the first season it can screen Ipswich Town playing in the Premier League.

Tristan Finbow, Isaac’s business development manager, says: “Sound and vision is so important, we want people to feel as close to the game as possible.

“That means getting the commentary on so people can enjoy it with a drink in their hand with their friends.”

Justine Lorriman, recently crowned as the BII Licensee of the Year for her work at the Royal Dyche in Burnley, will be building on successes from the summer.

She explains: “For the Euros, we had a 20ft screen outside in our fan zone and if the weather is good we will use it for the start of the season. We had beanbags out there so it was a very relaxed atmosphere.”

Getting the details right is vital to successful matchdays, which should lead to repeat custom.

Pat Humphries, on-premise associate director at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners GB (CCEP), says: “Delivering a great matchday experience can bring opportunities beyond big fixtures – nine in 10 (91%) pub landlords, managers and owners say customers who watch games in their venue also visit for non-sporting occasions at other times during the year (UKHospitality).”

Take the fun seriously

Gary McDonnell owns mega Birmingham sports pub Hennessy’s, which has more than 20 TVs plus a 12ft screen in the garden.

He says sport took off at the Digbeth venue when they made it a primary focus.

“It was six years ago at an inspiring Morning Advertiser event about live sport when we decided to take it seriously,” he says. “We invested in screens and the outside LED. We really went for it and it has paid off.

“People who had never been before started coming in and it put us on the map.

“If you are going to do live sport, do it properly and at the very least have a designated area for it,” he advises.

Serena Smith, head of category, on-trade at Heineken UK, agrees: “You may want to create distinct zones within the pub to help cater to all guests, such as dedicated sport areas and non-sport areas, which can enhance the overall experience.”

She adds that getting your matchday gameplan right is essential for success.

“To maximise the potential of these matches, establish a set approach for each game day that is understood by all staff members, that covers promotion and booking ahead of game days, the staff rota to manage the spike in customers around each match, venue layout to ensure good visibility of screens, and food and drink offerings available during these events.”

Get it right and you’ll repeatedly score success with customers.

McDonnell continues: “Have staff who understand sport and customers who want it. We try to create a stadium atmosphere with DJs playing music when goals are scored to make it feel like being in the stadium.” 

Before and after the final whistle

Pubs such as Isaac’s that have a Premier League team nearby aim to attract fans who are going to the stadium as well as those watching it in the pub. The aim is to keep them in or bring them back.

Finbow says: “We have had many great days over the past couple of seasons with back-to-back promotions and this will be another. On the first day of the season, the bars will be open at 9am for the game at 12.30pm. We will have home fans and away fans coming before going to the match and others staying to watch it.

“With Ipswich in the Prem, we expect there to be more interest in all games in the league, which will benefit us, even if promotion means four less home games than in the Championship.”

You don’t need to be near a Premier League stadium to bring in the fans. While Lorriman, current holder of the Great British Pub Awards’ Best Pub to Watch Sport title, has been picking up trophies, it has been a less successful time on the pitch for Burnley.

Relegation means they will be in the Championship this season but games from the top division will remain a big draw.

Lorriman adds: “If you are just starting to show football, my advice would be to market it well and make sure you have something on before or after to keep them in for longer. It might be a food deal or a DJ but keep people comfortable because if they are happy, they will stay rather than moving somewhere else.”

Putting customers in the picture

Promoting games in-venue and online is vital. Both Sky Sports and TNT Sports offer support to subscribers with poster packs, PoS kits and downloadable social assets.

Smith at Heineken UK says: “Once guests are in your venue, 89% are likely to return if they are aware of other matches being screened (Sky Business & CGA Report – The value of live sport in British pubs and Bars).

“Encourage guests to follow your social media channels to keep up to date on future events then make sure you share photos or videos to showcase the great atmosphere, food and drinks available.”

Lorriman uses social media to keep customers involved by asking them to pick which games should take big screen priority.

“We have three Sky boxes so we can show multiple games. Sometimes we will put polls on Twitter or Instagram so people can vote for the game they want to see.”

Drink

Football is a broad church so you will naturally want a drinks selection that appeals to as many as possible. However, during games you are likely to sell more beer than anything else.

Smith at Heineken UK continues: “Among pubgoers who visit to watch live football compared to the average, beer over indexes at 64%, with half of these people opting for lager (CGA Brandtrack). Therefore, ensuring you’ve got a good range of the most popular lager brands and segments, will help meet the demand of drinkers visiting the pub to watch the football.”

Beers such as Heineken and Carling, which have long-term links to football, will always prove to be popular.

Stephen Groucott, on-trade category controller at Molson Coors Beverage Company, says: “As a new season of domestic football kicks off, venues should take full advantage by making sure that they are well stocked with a balanced beer and cider range.

“Core lagers such as Carling, which remains the number one lager brand in Great Britain (CGA), are going to be in high demand due to their broad appeal.”

Guinness is also popular with sports fans and is now the new official beer of the Premier League. Pubs can expect to see the brand launch an on-trade activation ahead of the new season.

Meanwhile, Guinness 0.0 is the official non-alcoholic beer of the Premier League, serving as a reminder of the increasing popularity of low & no serves.

The attention to detail you give to screens, publicity and training should also be given to drinks.

Humphries at CCEP says: “Delivering the perfect serve is a simple way to make a big impact. It gives customers the feeling they’re getting something worth going out for that they couldn’t get at home.

“We know this makes a real difference, as in a recent survey of 500 people, 85% of respondents said they are more likely to order another drink and revisit a venue if their soft drink is served perfectly (One Pulse, 500 Respondents, Survey: Serving Soft Drinks perfectly in Pubs & Bars (HORECA), Survey completed: 20th February 2024)."

A feast of football

Whether it is a lunchtime clash, Sunday afternoon or an evening match, many fans will want a bite to eat with the game.

The rule here is quick and easy with handheld options more appealing that sit down service.

Post-match meals are also a way of extending the stay of guests.

Smith at Heineken UK says: “You could consider offering themed deals around the game. For example, if a popular Spanish footballer is playing, put on a Spanish inspired deal such as a pint of Cruzcampo and tapas, and name it after them. Signposting these offers during the game, and encouraging guests to preorder food will help the kitchen with service during this busy period.” 

Beyond the Premier League

The Premier League is an undoubted crowd puller, widely recognised as the most exciting competition of its kind on the planet. But the football fun does not stop there.

Sky also has rights to a stack of other competitions including the Carabao Cup, Scottish Premier League, Women’s Super League and English Football League.

The launch this August of Sky Sports+ means pubs connected with a Sky Q box will be able to stream 50% more sport this year, including 1,000 EFL games.

James Tweddle, director of hospitality at Sky Business, said: “The launch of Sky Sports+ is fantastic news for our hospitality customers. Venues with Sky Q will have more flexibility to choose which match they show, meaning they can select the games that matter most to their customers.”

It is set to benefit pubs such as the Royal Dyche, which has a Burnley FC fanbase as well as huge interest in the Premier League.

Lorriman says: “The Premier League will be a big deal even though Burnley have been relegated. We have now got Sky Q and Sky Sports+, which means we will be able to show Burnley live 24 times.”

Meanwhile, TNT Sports is set for its biggest season in Europe yet with changes to the format of the UEFA Champions League, Europa League and Conference League meaning there will be more games on the channel this year.

In total, there will be 546 matches across all three competitions – up by 28% – including two new January matchdays. On top of its own rights, TNT Sports will screen all 17 Champions League matches on Amazon to TNT Sports subscribers at no extra cost.

With so much football on the menu, the calendar will be packed for pubs.

If you are not sure if screening the Premier League is right for you, McDonnell at Hennessy’s has this advice: “People can be put off sport because they are worried about the way people behave but we never have any trouble. We have all fans of all teams in here.”

Let the season commence...