About Andrew Jaffee

Andrew is an accomplished and respected restaurant industry professional with more than 26 years of experience focusing on many aspects of small business management, ranging from human resources to marketing, operations and accounting. Prior to the SportsTV Guide, Andrew managed and owned a variety of concepts from quick service to fine dining, and spent the first 20 years of his career as a restaurant operator.

Introducing the SportsTV Guide for Digital Signage

We have been in the business of supporting sports-themed operators for nearly 30 years, but that doesn’t stop us from aspiring to bring you more every day. Which is why we are so excited to announce our newest innovation for accessing the data your subscription provides -- The SportsTV Guide for Digital Signage. This new product is made possible via our collaboration with the best-in-class digital signage and customer engagement platform, UPshow. Together, The SportsTV Guide and UPshow deliver the ultimate guest sports entertainment experience possible at your restaurant. Giving You New & Exciting Ways to Connect to Your Guests Where do we begin? It all started several years ago, when we launched our Web Widget that allowed users to embed their sports-on-TV schedule directly on their websites. This enhancement is so simple and has been widely embraced by [...]

What to Know about the 2021 Tokyo Summer Olympic Games

The last eighteen months have been a tumult of change, frustration and loss for most people around the world. Which is why the Summer Olympics in Tokyo should be a welcome distraction this year…or will it? The Games are rife with problems and the pandemic is still raging across the planet. Consequently, the Games’ success will depend on viewer interest and the performances of the athletes that attend. There’s High Interest in Both Men & Women’s Sports With the overall success of the Games anybody’s guess, there are some positives the Olympics always provide irrespective of circumstances. Among the most aspirational elements of the Games is that men’s and women’s sports are equally covered and viewed. As an example of the norm, a review of media coverage for women’s sports in Europe reveals only 12% of broadcast time at its [...]

What to Know About the 2021 NFL Season

The NFL had one helluva year in 2020. It was a season where their storybook QB won his 7th championship all while navigating a once in a century pandemic. What could they possibly offer in 2021 to compare to what they overcame and delivered in 2020? Well, there are some significant schedule adjustments coupled with continuing to explore where & how they deliver their content which should enhance this year’s NFL iteration. And sports bar owners, operators, and managers should take note. All of this adds up to a season with some new expectations and hopefully the same great results for sports-themed restaurant operators. We will review those changes and provide some insights on how to leverage them to your advantage in this post. A Longer NFL Season Way back in 1966, when the NFL and AFL merged, 24 teams [...]

By |2022-06-07T13:12:33-04:00June 25th, 2021|Sports Bar Marketing, Sports TV News|0 Comments

4 Alternative TV Content Options for Sports Bars

The search for content has always been a thorny task for sports bars and restaurant operators. By content we mean any activity, programming or engagement you deliver to your guests while they visit your restaurant. Most operators have the programming part on lock down, but how does our industry do when it comes to alternative forms of content? Most of the operators served by The Daily Rail and SportsTV Guide pretty much leave it at traditional content. However, we believe not having a plan for alternative content is a fatal error in any restaurant or bar and grill. Whether you want to deliver custom messages to your guests through digital signage platforms like Atmosphere or provide obscure games that only streaming sports can deliver, understanding alternate content can be a real difference maker for your business. To address the aforementioned dearth of knowledge, we compiled a few options to expand [...]

No, The Sports Bar Isn’t Dying

The rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated. --Mark Twain If we can take any solace from this dubiously ascribed quote, it’s that while the sports bar industry is in trouble, it is unlikely disappearing for good. The months since March 16th of this year (when the NBA tipped the first domino of sports cancellations) have been a roller coaster of disruptions on which we are heading downhill again, as winter arrives and the COVID-19 virus rages. An article in Sports Illustrated (SI) attempts to pay homage to the essence of the sports bars of old, but sadly also paints a bleak picture of what’s to come. Fortunately, we don’t buy into their morbidity and think the ending narrative of the sports bar isn’t quite ready to be written. SI Paints a Grim Outlook We must begin with the [...]

By |2022-06-07T12:41:45-04:00December 3rd, 2020|Sports Bar Management|0 Comments

4 Ways Sports Bars Can Leverage Sports During COVID-19

The NRA just reported that over 100,000 restaurants have remained closed during the pandemic. That is a startling statistic and should scare you into action. The good news is that sports-themed operators have survived better than most in our industry, and sports remains an authentic call-to-action for guests to visit your restaurants. Which is why it’s time to double down on your marketing of the sports viewing experience you provide. Below we outline four strategies to improve your sports experience marketing and grow during these impossible times. Market Off-Premise Tailgate Packages Never before has off-premise dining been more important to your business. This is why sports can be a serious advantage for marketing your carryout menus. With the four major North American sports and NCAA football all in play right now, there is ample opportunity for guests to celebrate a [...]

By |2022-06-07T12:49:06-04:00September 15th, 2020|Guest Management, Sports Bar Marketing|0 Comments

Our Response to the COVID-19 Crisis

While navigating this crisis, we have all had to make the concession that life is not returning to normal anytime soon. Consequently, the SportsTV Guide is pausing all of our clients subscriptions. We have marked March 1st as the beginning of this crisis and will move your anniversary date based on when televised sports return and restaurants are able to operate again. We will continue to email you The Daily Rail newsletter every morning. We want to stay in touch, keep you posted on what's happening in the industry and generally commiserate about the situation. If you didn't attend, we hosted a Live Event last week that was very well received. We spoke to a business attorney about issues related to your business and it's solvency and got some great insight from a DIRECTV dealer on how to manage your account. [...]

By |2022-06-07T13:17:23-04:00March 26th, 2020|Sports TV News|0 Comments

How Crack Shack’s March Madness Promo is Built to Win

Here we are again, March has arrived and with it the Madness has begun. The 12 days of tournament play is among the most profitable all year for sports-themed operators. Filling every inch of your restaurant is possible on the first Thursday & Friday, but the rest of the tournament can leave a lot to be desired. But it doesn’t have to be with some creative and effective marketing. Meet the Crack Shack. This chef-owned fried chicken joint does more than just serve some of the best food in San Diego (they have five locations on SoCal and one in Las Vegas), but they appear to be expert marketers. Check out this email they sent to promote their bracket promotion during the NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament. Crack Shack March Madness promo email Here’s How It Works! The offer [...]

By |2022-06-07T12:52:51-04:00March 12th, 2020|Sports Bar Marketing|0 Comments

Why Sports Bars Should Target Drone Racing Fans

What do you think when you hear the word “drone”? For some, it takes them immediately to the military use of drones to engage enemy combatants while risking fewer American lives in a forward base of operations. For others, however, the notion of drones being utilized to kill couldn’t be further from their minds. They see an incredible recreational diversion that has now morphed into its own version of a sport – one that is already being show on major TV networks like ESPN and NBC Sports Network. What is Drone Racing and the DRL? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bITjRQCGEug Let’s start by describing what drone racing is and how it works. The premier league right now is the Drone Racing League (DRL). They have credible contests around the country and deliver significant prizes to their champion pilots. The racers themselves fly single design [...]

DOWNLOAD: 2019 MLB Postseason TV Schedule

Unlike the NBA and NHL, the MLB post-season is short and sweet. With three rounds and an escalating amount of intensity, October can be a raucous run to crowing a World Series Champion. The entire month will feature primetime matchups. Among the best features of this month is that games are played back to back nightly. Unlike the NBA where there are as many as four days between playoff games, the MLB gets it done with no series having more than two rest/travel days included. Download the 2019 MLB Postseason Schedule (All times are ET) The playoffs boot off tomorrow with the first of two Wildcard games. First Milwaukee takes on Washington in fight to see who flies west to Chavez Ravine and the Los Angeles Dodgers. This is followed by Tampa Bay playing in Oakland to fly the opposite [...]

By |2022-06-07T12:57:30-04:00September 30th, 2019|Sports TV Schedule|0 Comments

What to Know About the ACC Network

Ladies, gentlemen and other esteemed guests, your long wait is over. The ACC launched their new network on August 22nd. If you’ve been in the sports-themed restaurant world for a while, then you’ve seen this dance before. It’s a new channel on DIRECTV (ACCNX – 612) that will carry extra content that doesn’t appear on the nationally distributed networks. It’s a collaboration with ESPN and includes content on the streaming system ESPN+. You’ll need to contact your dealer to determine the price for your location. Here are the Details. Currently ACC Net is only being carried by Spectrum, Google FiberTV and DIRECTV. The programming is also streaming on YoutubeTV, Hulu, Charter/Spectrum TV, DIRECTV & Playstation Vue. It’s also included in content available via an ESPN+ subscription. Currently, ESPN told us that they have no plan to sell ESPN+ commercial, but [...]

By |2022-06-07T13:01:05-04:00August 27th, 2019|Online Sports, Sports TV News|0 Comments

Are You Ready for the 2019-20 NFL Season?

The NFL’s return is among the most welcome things to happen in sports bars. Just the prospect of 17 weeks of NFL action can make your restaurant relevant again after enduring the dog days of summer. Not much has changed from prior years as DIRECTV continues to control the NFL Sunday Ticket exclusively until the conclusion of the 2022 season. That means three primetime games per week on Thursday, Sunday, and Monday and a full slate of games all day on Sunday. The beauty of football is that not only does the NFL fill your midweek with content, but NCAA Football is also running parallel to the pro game. This translates into virtually every night having content to for your hungry football fans. You should already be fairly booked with your draft parties if you are featuring those. Feel free [...]

By |2022-06-07T13:00:45-04:00August 20th, 2019|Sports TV Schedule|0 Comments
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