When strategizing for fall and winter promotions, restaurants should be sure to include sports programming in their offerings. Happy hour deals may draw people in, but quality programming on televisions will encourage guests to indulge in more appetizers and another round (or two) and more.
Of course, with a range of sports programming providers to choose between, it can be tricky for operators to make a decision, so it’s important to review all of the options available. NFL programming can be a boon to operators’ bottom lines, so be sure to look for a provider that offers a breadth of NFL games—including NFL Sunday Ticket and Thursday Night Football.
Why NFL?
The NFL accounted for 91 of the top 100 most-watched telecasts on TV in 2021, according to the NFL. That is, among the Olympics, presidential inauguration, awards shows and more, the NFL was the most consistently watched programming. The NFL also reports that regular season games averaged 17.1 million viewers in 2021—triple the average viewership of regularly scheduled prime time shows on broadcast TV.
With that many people watching every NFL game, it’s easy to see how broadcasting them in a restaurant can be a big opportunity. Because, of course, when diners come in to watch the game, they order food and drinks. But how much can that really add up to?
The NFL Profit Calculator from DIRECTV for BUSINESSSM finds that if a two-top has an average check of just $36 (including two burgers, four beers and one mixed drinks), and there are 60 of these tables per week, the 17-week incremental profit for a restaurant adds up to over $23,000—a huge difference from not offering any NFL programming!
How to get NFL programming
DIRECTV for BUSINESS is proud to be the official provider of NFL Sunday Ticket programming, and it’s easy for restaurants and bars to add it to their lineup. Operators simply sign on for DIRECTV service for their restaurants—the 2022 season of NFL Sunday Ticket is included for no extra cost, allowing guests to watch every live game, every Sunday. Beyond NFL programming, operators will also have access to up to 270 channels, with the first three months of HBO Max™, Cinemax®, SHOWTIME®, STARZ® and EPIX® included as well.
In addition to NFL Sunday Ticket, Prime Video and DIRECTV are also proudly providing bars and restaurants with access to Thursday Night Football’s extensive programming, including pregame, halftime and postgame coverage throughout the entire season.
Getting diners excited about football is easy with NFL Sunday Ticket and Thursday Night Football programming—and with weekly games, operators can expect more guests to come in, and those guests to order another round or two, which can lead to big profits. In fact, according to a 2021 national survey, sports bars that subscribe to DIRECTV NFL Sunday Ticket report that they draw an average of 22% more people on days when NFL Sunday Ticket is on compared to other weekends.
To learn more about NFL Sunday Ticket and other programming options from DIRECTV for BUSINESS, visit www.directv.com/forbusiness/enterprise-solutions today.
This post is sponsored by DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS℠