The winning play: 3 ways airing live sports events can enhance your establishment

(BPT) – According to Technomic Research, 49% of restaurant and bar operators who display sports reported that offering sports programming increases a customer’s length of stay, while 33% say it increases customer retention.This proves that watching live sports is a community activity, and that fans have an even better experience when cheering on their favorite team with like-minded fans. For businesses like bars and restaurants, operators should take note and capitalize on the opportunity to increase customer loyalty and drive sales while becoming the go-to local spot on game day.Joe Hand Promotions, the leading live sports content distributor in the U.S. for bars and restaurants, wants to help local establishments grow their loyal customer base and enhance their reputation through offering live sports and entertainment programming. Here are their three reasons why embracing live sports programming can help your business’ growth and reputation.1. Increase foot trafficSocial sports fans want to find the best venue to catch the action. The same Technomic survey shows that high-profile sports events generate a 21% average increase in unit-level sales and a 15% average increase in traffic for restaurants and bars.By hosting televised sporting events, operators can increase foot traffic by becoming the new “it” spot for game day. This, in turn, will capture a whole new base of patrons, from die-hard fans to casual viewers.If you want the best variety of sports programming, you can partner with Joe Hand Promotions, an authorized sales agent for leading sports brands like ESPN to provide restaurants, bars and other venues with ESPN+ for Business, which showcases 120-200 live sporting events per month. Events include UFC Fight Nights, Top Rank Boxing, and major-conference college football and basketball, PGA TOUR LIVE, tennis, international soccer, and more, attracting fans from all sectors of the sports industry! You can find the full schedule here.2. Drive sales and become the place to be on game dayIncreased foot traffic isn’t just a boost for your bottom line on game day. Often, sports fans enjoy the space before and after a game for pregame rituals and postgame celebrations. Eventually, through word-of-mouth, your bar or restaurant can become well known for its live sports entertainment — in addition to food and drink — which will have patrons coming back for more even when a game isn’t on.As patrons share their positive experiences with friends and family and on social media, your establishment will soon gain a reputation as the ultimate game day destination, providing a huge spike in sales.3. Build community and customer loyaltyHosting game day events can transform your establishment into more than just a place to eat or drink. Over time, it will foster a community of like-minded customers who share a passion for sports. Regular sports viewers will become familiar faces as they come back again and again to see you, their fellow fans and, of course, the game.The collective excitement and camaraderie created by televised sports events enhances your establishment’s existing reputation and offerings. Soon, your name will become synonymous with thrilling sports moments and experiences.How to become a sports entertainment hubAre you ready to start broadcasting sports and other live events at your establishment? Not so fast. You may think you can use your personal live sports streaming or cable account at your bar or business, but doing so would violate federal piracy laws. Avoid the hassle and purchase commercial programming through a leading live sports provider such as Joe Hand Promotions.To learn more about how you can show sports and other live events at your establishment with content like ESPN+ for Business, visit JoeHandPromotions.com.