By Reina Jones, Contributor

Big restaurants and clubs have already stepped into the concept of digital signage and have started displaying attractive signage content on their digital boards. Not far behind, sports bars and small cafes have increasingly started using their digital displays for capturing the attention of their visitors and providing them with a lively experience.

Due to the neck-to-neck competition, the owners of the sports bar are always trying their hands on the new digital signage content ideas that can entice their visitors and entertain them for a longer time.

Top Digital Signage Content Ideas for Sports Bar

Here are some of the engaging digital signage content ideas for sports bar.

1. Live Sports Tournaments

As the name suggests, the sports bar is the place where food and drinks are served along with the information of sporting events and their display.

To engage the customers and satisfy the reason for their presence in your bar, you can display live sports tournaments on your signage display. Along with this, you can even showcase highlights of the past popular matches that are still in the minds and hearts of the people.

And think outside the usual big sports of basketball, football, baseball, and hockey. eSports is a huge interest among Millennials and Gen Z. Expanding the array of sports and special events your bar shows will also expand your clientele, boosting overall revenue. So look for “alternative sports” to showcase and be sure to make a big deal about it in your marketing.

You may even want to consider courting some fan clubs for these alt-sports and eSports clubs, turning your bar into their HQ.

2. Show Updates of Other Ongoing Sports Events

Along with the live games on the digital screen, you can display updates and highlights of other sporting events that are taking place around the world.

Why? Because not everyone at your bar is excited about the sports that you are showing live or they have fantasy games or sport bets on the line and are interested keeping tabs are more than just what they’re watching live. This is why you should emphasize as many sports and events as you can to capture and keep the attention of your guests sitting at your bar.

You can also use these signs to test your guests sports IQ with some trivia and other quick games, or let them know what other games you plan on showing with the SportsTV Guide for Digital Signage.

3. Use Your Signage as Digital Menu Boards

Menu boards on your bar’s digital signage makes it easier for your guests to order their food while watching the big games on your TVs.

Digital sign menus also make updating your menus easier on the fly (think 86) and save the cost of printing out new menus every time you make a change. Digi signage also allows your team to showcase your specials for the week and what beers you have on tap.

Be sure to take some high rez photos and HD videos of your top menu items to give your digital menu board a visual selling point.

4. Promote Special Offers & Discounts

Displaying various offers and discounts on your signage screens is a good way to catch eyes and encourage guests to visit your bar again or stay longer.

You and your team can get creative with these offers, too, such as displaying offers on the winning team of different events you show.

For example, in the soccer match between Spain and Brazil, you can provide your guests with an offer that if Brazil wins guests get a 5% discount, and if Spain will win guests get half-off their next drink of choice. And then you can ask each table to bet on one team before they order their food and drinks.

This will boost the energy and engagement between your guests and your sports bar.

5. Build a Social Media Wall

You can ask your customers to post their experiences and reviews on social media using a dedicated hashtag you’ve created. These uploads can then be curated into the customized and exciting social media wall using a social media aggregator tool. This social wall can then be displayed on the signage screens to encourage more guests to post their photos and videos. Who doesn’t want to feel like a mini celebrity for a few minutes?

Along with this, you can even display the tweets of the people related to the ongoing live tournament that is being displayed on the screen (local sports blogs, reporters, fan accounts, etc.). It will display the guests with the thoughts that people from all over the world have for the tournament.

Benefits of Digital Signage Displays for Sports Bars

Not just limited to customer engagement, these digital signage displays provide a wide range of benefits for the sports bar. Here are a few:

1. Hold Guests Attention Longer

Digital signages are the most trending marketing displays that have the capacity to entertain the audience and hold their attention for long hours. With the creative signage content ideas – such as game updates, the social media wall, and showing off what games you’re showing during the week — you can entertain your guests while simultaneously promoting your business and building a reputation of being the sports HQ of your neighborhood.

2. Encourage More Spending

The longer your guests dwell time, the more they are likely to spend in your sports bar. By utilizing special offer contests (like the one listed above), showing an array of events that interests your guests, and using the digital signs to promote your menu items, you’re likely to see an uptick in dwell time and check totals.

It also takes some pressure off your wait team having to be amazing sellers and focus more on providing a great experience.

4. Makes the Waiting Time More Enjoyable

As we know, we tend to forget about the food when we are much engrossed in the TV. Sports bars can take the advantage of this human nature and can avoid the chaos that might occur due to delayed services.

By displaying highlights, game updates, sports trivia, and a social media wall on the signage screens, you can divert guests attention from their hungry stomachs to your screens. Once you’ve done that, you can push future events your hosting and games you’ll be featuring on your TVs.

5. Increases Your Bars Footfall Traffic

The more exciting you make your guests’ initial visit, the likelier they are come visit again. Consumers want to visit a place that serves them quality entertainment along with quality of food and services. Therefore, the engaging signage displays can increase the footfall of your sports bar to a great extent by entertaining them while they’re there and enticing them to revisit in the near future.

Conclusion

In the restaurant & bar industry, it is important for the owners to engage the customers to enhance their experience at your sports bar and influence them to visit again and spread recommendations. From the creative ideas mentioned above, leverage the perfect ones for your sports bar and avail the benefits that they have to offer.