TV sport in pubs: size does matter, says new study

The survey found that more than half (54 per cent) would not be visiting the pub more this year than in 2011 and 13 per cent actually intended to head to their local less in 2012 despite it being a strong year for sport on the box.

Over 2,000 people were questioned for the survey, conducted by Opinium Research, and the top three factors that influenced where sports fans choose to drink and watch sport were revealed to be location, drinks price and the size of the TV screen.

Size matters

Nieve Cavanagh, senior product marketing manager at Casio Projectors, who commissioned the research, said when it came to pubs planning how to attract sport-loving punters it was a case of 'size does matter'.

"In a tough economic climate, most pubs and bars are facing very real financial pressures, and realistically, there’s a limit on what venues can and can’t do. Lowering the price of booze will mean taking a significant revenue hit; a change in location is impractical, and landlords can’t really control factors such as atmosphere. But audio-visuals (AV) can be relatively easily upgraded," she said.

Increased average spend

Advising publicans to consider the total cost of upgrading their AV offering, including upkeep, Cavanagh said larger screens and projectors could prove financially beneficial.

The study revealed the average spend per sports fan in a pub was £14.42 but claimed this could be increased with small changes from pubs. Casio Projectors has launched a sports broadcasting revenue calculator to show pubs the potential revenue boost to their venue from live sport in 2012. The calculator can be accessed online at www.facebook.com/CasioProjectors .

Last year a separate study from pub and bar operator Orchid found 67 per cent of those unlucky to get Olympics tickets would be turning to their local pub as the next best option to view the London 2012 games.