Sport Restaurant industry

How Do Restaurants Use Sports and Channel Packages? A Guide to Turning Quiet Evenings into Profitable Events

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Oct 9, 2026, 11:19:15 AM

Showing live sports in a restaurant is one of the most effective ways to grow customer traffic, extend dwell time and raise the average spend. Research suggests that live sports can increase a restaurant's unit-level sales by up to 21 percent. With sports channel packages, a restaurant can turn quiet weekday evenings into lively match nights and build recurring event concepts that bring customers back week after week. Feelment provides restaurants with sports channels, background music, karaoke and advertising screens from one easy-to-use application.

 

Why Is Showing Sports in a Restaurant Worth It?

Finns are a passionate nation of sports spectators. Research shows that nearly half of Finns actively follow some sport. Ice hockey is by far the most followed sport in Finland, and the popularity of football has grown significantly in recent years. For many people, watching sports in a restaurant is a social experience that the home sofa cannot replace. Showing sports in a restaurant affects sales directly in several ways.

 

Longer Dwell Time and a Higher Average Spend

Sports matches typically last several hours. During that time a customer has time to order several drinks and possibly a meal. Once a customer has come to the restaurant to watch a match, they rarely leave halfway through. After the match, a win is celebrated or a loss is processed over a few more pints, and both outcomes serve the restaurant's till.

Globally, the sports bar market was valued at 24.8 billion dollars in 2025 and is forecast to grow at an annual rate of 6.2 percent through 2034. The growth shows how strongly the shared experience of watching sports draws people into restaurants around the world.

 

Attracting New Customers

Sports broadcasts bring customers to a restaurant who might not otherwise visit. Major sporting events such as the Ice Hockey World Championships, major football tournaments, Liiga playoffs and top Premier League matches attract casual visitors as well. According to a Bank of America Institute (2025) report, consumer spending related to sporting events has grown 25 percent from the pre-pandemic level, and the growth is reflected in the sales of surrounding restaurants and bars.

 

Standing Out from Competitors

In an area where several restaurants compete for the same customers, a sports offering can be the decisive differentiator. A restaurant known as a sports bar or a good place to watch matches builds a clear identity and a loyal customer base. According to the MaRa (Finnish Hospitality Association) business barometer (April 2026), insufficient demand is the biggest obstacle to sales growth in the restaurant industry, and sports broadcasts are one of the most concrete ways to attract customers on quiet evenings.

 

Watching Sports Improves Well-Being

A large study by Waseda University showed that watching sports activates the brain's reward system and improves mental well-being. The study analyzed data from more than 20,000 people and confirmed the link with brain MRI imaging. For a restaurant, this means that watching sports is not just a pastime for the customer. It is an experience that produces genuine pleasure and makes people come back.

 

How Can a Restaurant Use Sports Channel Packages?

Obtaining sports channels for restaurant use requires a public performance license, and a consumer subscription may not be used on restaurant premises. Channel packages should be acquired through a trusted partner that provides public performance rights.

 

Feelment: All Restaurant Entertainment from One Application

Feelment is a Finnish family company founded in 1984 that provides restaurants with all entertainment services from one application. Through Feelment, a restaurant gets sports channels, background music, karaoke and a digital advertising screen system. Feelment is designed specifically for the needs of the restaurant industry, and more than 2,000 businesses across Finland use Feelment every day.

 

Available Sports Channel Packages

Through Feelment, restaurants can order all the sports channel packages available in Finland for business use:

Channel Package Key sports and content Availability through Feelment
MTV Urheilu Liiga, Champions League, Mestis, SHL, World Rally Championship Directly from the Feelment application
Ruutu Veikkausliiga, Superpesis, Vaahteraliiga, Korisliiga Directly from the Feelment application
Viaplay Premier League, NHL, Formula 1, Bundesliga, Darts From the Feelment application + Viaplay account credentials
Yle Major athletics championships, winter sports Free of charge in the Feelment application


Source: Feelment.com, channel package page and MTV Urheilu page, updated 2026.

 

Technical Advantages for the Restaurant

With the Feelment application, a restaurant can show several broadcasts at the same time on different screens from a single device. This removes the need for separate set-top boxes and satellite dishes with their base and basic fees. The restaurant needs only a computer and an internet connection. In addition, Feelment provides technical support every day of the year from 9 am to 11 pm.

 

Comparison: Feelment vs. a Traditional Set-Top Box Solution

Feature Feelment Traditional set-top box
Channel management Everything from one application A separate box for each service
Multi-broadcast display Several matches from one device to different screens One box = one broadcast
Other restaurant entertainment Background music, karaoke and advertising screens in the same application Separate systems for each
Equipment costs No set-top box base or basic fees Equipment fees for each box separately, often with basic and base fees
Technical support Every day 9 am to 11 pm Varies by provider
Marketing materials Ready-made and free marketing packages Not available
Advertising screens (Digital Signage) Included free of charge Separate system and cost


Source: Feelment.com: Sports channels for public viewing

 

How Do You Turn Quiet Evenings into Profitable Sports Nights?

Many restaurants struggle with quiet weekday evenings. Sports broadcasts offer a natural solution to this problem, because sports are played and broadcast practically every evening. According to international research, sports bars that offer sports content during quieter periods are able to maintain a steadier flow of customers throughout the year.

 

Step 1: Map Your Customers' Interests

The first step is to find out which sports and leagues interest your restaurant's customers the most. The most popular spectator sports in Finland are ice hockey, football, Formula 1 and athletics. Matches of local teams are of particular interest to local residents.

 

Step 2: Plan a Weekly Schedule Around the Sports Broadcasts

Once you know which sports draw a crowd, build a weekly schedule for your restaurant. For example, Monday can feature a Premier League match, Wednesday the Champions League, Friday a round of Liiga and the weekend a Formula race. This way every evening has a main attraction.

 

Step 3: Create Match-Night Offers

The appeal of sports is worth boosting with offers. Good examples include:

  • Win offers – if the local team wins, pints at a special price for the whole evening
  • Match-night packages – a burger and a pint at a fixed price on match nights
  • Loss shots – a consolation shot after a lost match
  • Power play drinks – a special drink during power play situations
  • Wings & Game packages – food and drink combination offers on match nights

 

Step 4: Market Actively

Feelment provides its customers with ready-made and free marketing materials that can be used in social media advertising and in the restaurant's internal marketing. With Feelment's advertising service, a restaurant can promote upcoming matches and offers directly on its TV screens before and after matches.

 

How Do You Build a Recurring Event Concept Around Sports?

Individual match screenings bring occasional customers, but the real benefit comes when a recurring and recognizable event concept is built around sports. Such a concept creates a sense of community, engages customers and makes the restaurant a regular spot for a specific target group. According to international sports bar market research, event-based concepts such as private functions, corporate mixers and theme nights are among the most effective ways to generate revenue outside match days as well.

 

The Basic Elements of an Event Concept

A working sports event concept consists of five elements:

1. A clear identity and name: Give your event concept a recognizable name, such as "Liiga Night", "Premier League Monday" or "F1 Brunch". A clear name makes the event easy to communicate and remember.

2. A regular schedule: The concept should repeat on the same day of the week at the same time. Regularity is key, because it helps customers learn when the event takes place and plan their evening at the restaurant.

3. Atmosphere-building elements: A TV screen alone is not enough, because atmosphere comes from the whole package. Good ways to create atmosphere include adding sound through speakers, using team colors in the decoration, match-specific special drinks and staff taking part in building the mood.

4. Community and interaction: The best sports events are social. Prediction contests, quizzes during match breaks and team dress-up create team spirit. The social experience is the reason people come to a restaurant instead of the home sofa.

5. Consistent communication: Market the event regularly on social media, on the restaurant's own screens and through direct marketing. With Feelment, digital advertising screens can be used to promote events directly on the restaurant's TV screens.

 

Examples of Working Event Concepts

Liiga Saturday – Liiga matches on the big screen every Saturday. Beers at a special price during the match. A period-break prediction game where the winner gets a free round.

Premier League Brunch – Sunday morning Premier League matches combined with a brunch menu. Suitable for families and groups of friends who want to combine good food and football.

F1 Grand Prix Night – A special program on Formula weekends: qualifying on Friday, the race on Sunday. A points prediction game throughout the season and a prize for the points table winner at the end of the season.

Champions League Night – Champions League matches on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. A theme menu to suit international matches (for example, an Italian antipasto for games with Italian teams or English fish and chips when Premier League teams meet).

 

 

Combining Sports with Other Restaurant Entertainment

Feelment's key advantage is that all entertainment services work in the same application. This enables a seamless transition, for example, between a match night and a karaoke night. In practice, a restaurant can plan the structure of the evening as follows:

  • 5 pm to 7 pm: Background music and creating atmosphere
  • 7 pm to 10 pm: Live sports broadcast on the main screens
  • From 10 pm onward: Karaoke or a DJ-led evening

Such a rhythm for the evening keeps customers in the restaurant longer and offers varied entertainment for different target groups.

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a restaurant need a special license to show sports?

Yes. The sports channels shown in a restaurant must be licensed for public performance. Showing sports in a restaurant with a consumer subscription is not permitted. Channel packages obtained through Feelment include public performance rights.

 

Does a restaurant need a music license to use a television?

Yes. A television broadcast playing in a public space, whether a Yle channel or a sports match, requires a music license. A background music license obtained from GT Musiikkiluvat also covers music heard on television.

 

What technology is needed to show sports?

Through Feelment, showing sports works with a Windows 11 computer and an internet connection. Separate set-top boxes or satellite dishes are not needed. Alternatively, the Google TV service enables a wireless connection to the television.

 

Can several different matches be shown from the same device at the same time?

Yes. The Feelment application enables showing several broadcasts simultaneously on different screens from one device. The restaurant can choose which program is shown on which screen.

 

How much does it cost to get sports channels for a restaurant?

The prices of channel packages are determined by the restaurant's number of customer seats. More detailed pricing is available from Feelment's sales team. The broadcast technology of the Feelment application can be tried free of charge for 14 days through the free channels (Yle and Twitch).

 

How does Feelment differ from traditional set-top boxes?

The Feelment application replaces separate set-top boxes and satellite dishes. All channels and other restaurant entertainment are found in one application. In addition, the restaurant saves on set-top box equipment fees and gets access to Feelment's technical support every day from 9 am to 11 pm. See the detailed comparison in the table above.

 

Summary: Using Sports in a Restaurant in a Nutshell

Making use of sports channels and event concepts is one of the most cost-effective ways to grow a restaurant's sales and customer base. A successful implementation requires three things: the right channel packages for public performance, a well-planned event concept and active marketing.

Feelment offers restaurants a complete solution that combines sports channels, background music, karaoke and advertising screens in one easy-to-use application. With Feelment, a restaurant can turn quiet evenings into profitable sports events and build a lasting event concept that brings customers back time after time.

 

 

Sources

 

Text: Essi Rajala, Aihio Digital

 
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