Improve Sales and Ambiance with Sports Bar Digital Signage

Sports bars are more than just a place for people to grab drinks and watch the game; sometimes its the vibe, and of course the unique food and drink options which attract people. Businesses that want to retain customers’ patronage often must focus on providing these services as well as letting customers know they are available.

That’s where digital signage comes in. Whether you’re running a special on food-and-drink combos or updating patrons on extras like trivia and raffles, digital screens can help get the message across and help create an immersive experience.

For many bar businesses, the goal often is to keep customers satisfied and increase sales, and with sports bar digital signage, your business can achieve both. 

What is sports bar digital signage?

Sports bar digital signage is the use of digital displays and screens at a sports bar often primarily to display promotional content. But beyond that, digital signage in sports bars can improve the ambiance, offer table ordering service, improve awareness of promotions, events or deals and even display the big games.

While digital signage in bars is often seen as a rack of big wall mounted screens streaming different games, it is increasingly being used in more creative ways.

The digital signage screens can be set up next to the bar, at tables, in the window and, of course, on the walls or hanging from ceilings. And using digital signage software for sports bars you can then display a variety of slides, including live matches, scores and stat updates, custom advertisements for drink specials, or even interactive messages like trivia or polls.

Why digital signage in a sports bar?

Digital signage is more than just a screen for displaying ads or menu boards. It's a flexible and highly customizable way to add other content to your TV screens. Whether that's drinks deals, daily specials on food or upcoming events that your audience won't want to miss, digital signage is engaging and easy to use.

Read More: Digital Signage for Quick Service Restaurants

Whats more, digital signage can be easily networked so you can manage multiple screens in different areas showing different things.

Here are a few ideas how digital signage can be used in your sports bar:

Live scores and game updates

Customers come to watch the TV in a bar because their favorite teams are playing. But showing multiple games can be tricky, especially for smaller bars. 

With digital signage, patrons can stay updated on sports scores, match updates and real time statistics of one game while another shows on the screen, thanks to scrolling ticker tape displays. You can easily integrate ticker tapes and customize the leagues or sports news to display on them.

And if you have multiple screens, you can even segment screens to feature special promos in one corner while the game plays.

Promotions and happy hour deals

Happy hour deals are a huge draw for sports bars, and digital signs offer an easy way to promote these deals. You can:

• Create and display custom eye-catching promos
• Show slides on deals and food specials during break times
• Maximize sales during high-traffic times by promoting high-ticket products

You can even manage dynamic content, for example, a special offer if the game goes one way, or

Opportunities for interactive engagement

Promos aren’t the only opportunities during down times. Your business could also introduce interactive elements like a social media feed and live trivia to make the sports bar experience more immersive.

Encourage customers to post online for a chance to be featured on your screen or to play the trivia games and win prizes.

You can also install social media video walls which can be a fun way to improve your social media engagement, get more entertaining content on your walls and get more attention on your bar.

Read more: Using User-Generated Content to Improve Customer Experience

Scheduled content for busy days

Digital signage also lets you schedule slides in advance, which is great for days when you expect a high footfall of sports fans. You can design your slides ahead of time and include everything from promotions to specific game highlights to make sure the display stays relevant while you handle other matters.

For example, for match days you might want to display information about queueing systems in the run up to the game. But then once the dust has settled, you might want to start streaming music videos or promoting your evening meal menu.

Read more: Keep Signage Updated with Scheduled Content

Alerts and security updates

Screens in bars hooked up to digital signage can be quickly and easily updated; very helpful in emergency situations where they can help reduce panic and provide clear instructions. Specifically, digital signage screens can:

• Quickly and visibly display emergency information
• Help customers stay calm
• Display directions to the nearest exit 

Read more: Digital Signage for Emergency Alerts

Ideas for sports bar signage

Here are some ideas you can try with your sports and events digital signage:

• Promote specific high-ticket products
• Grow your social media 
• Increase revenue
• Increase attendance to your other events
• Keep customers engaged throughout their stay

Set up a video wall to show multiple games simultaneously

There's no reason your bar can't serve customers who came to see different games if you have multiple screens and a signage solution like ScreenCloud. Video walls will allow you to display multiple games at once, keeping everyone happy.

You can even divide the screen into sections and adjust screen sizes based on game importance. Video walls are straightforward to set up too. Check out our guide on setting up a video wall with ScreenCloud.

Use digital menus to highlight promos

Digital menu boards help you show customers what to expect from your menu, as well as any special offers they need to be aware of-we see this a lot with digital screens in restaurants. You can use this opportunity to highlight some of your key items and best sellers.

Digital menu boards also help you showcase your broad food and drinks menu, which might be a selling point for customers who love options.

Read more: How to Create a Digital Menu Board

Build your online presence

Turn your physical customers to loyal online followers with just a few digital signage integrations and apps.

For example, ScreenCloud’s Gallery for Instagram lets you create a live scrolling wall of your Instagram feed. Pair this with a scannable QR code that leads to your page, and you can create a direct channel for people to find and follow you online.

Here are some other ideas:

• Display user generated content to encourage more people to follow you and post
• Highlight specific offers for social media followers. E.g. “follow us on Insta for 10% off your next drink”
• Create a loyalty program that’s tied to your social media platforms

Consider sponsors to boost revenue

Besides promoting your bar’s menu items during downtimes, you can also partner with a local business and display their ads on your screens. 

Some businesses to consider include:

• Sports equipment stores
• Local breweries and distilleries
• Food and beverage supplies
• Local businesses or services
• Sports betting platforms

It’s a win-win because they gain access to a captive audience with focused attention, and your sports bar makes extra revenue.

Promote upcoming events

Hosting events at your sports bar is a fantastic way to attract new customers, build a loyal base, and create excitement. And with digital signage, you can update everyone who walks into your bar on these events, increasing the chances that they'll attend.

This could be as easy as creating slides that talk about the events, complete with engaging photos and compelling text. Then, you can schedule these slides to show during periods of increased foot traffic and ensure that a high number of people see it.

If you’re looking for event ideas, here are some to consider:

• Sports trivia nights
• Live music and sports combos
• Beer or drink tasting
• Karaoke and open mic nights
• Outdoor events like local athlete meet and greets

Read more: 30 Outdoor Event Signage Ideas

Reduce perceived wait in-between games

Perceived wait times aren't really a problem during scheduled game breaks. But in a bustling bar environment where you have a high foot fall and orders take longer to prepare, customers could get annoyed. Here, you can use digital displays to help them pass the time.

A variety of dynamic content can help make this happen, including everything we’ve mentioned earlier – sports trivia, social posts, promos and discounts.

Improve your sports bar digital signage today

Screens in bars are not a new thing, but digital signage offers an opportunity for businesses to show more than just sports matches. If you combine digital signage with some dynamic content, your business can promote high ticket food and drink options, generate buzz, and more, using the screens you already have.

ScreenCloud offers digital signage solutions that's excellent for sports bars, whether you have one screen or a dozen. Features like an easy to use CMS, dozens of design templates, and a straightforward content creation and publishing system can make sure that you up and running in no time.

Sign up for a 14-day free trial to learn more, or,book a demo here.