London pubs are gearing up for Super Bowl Sunday, the Six Nations and Premier League heavyweight clashes, in a weekend that could massively boost London’s embattled hospitality sector.
With sold out bookings and a chance to see a spike in sales, industry experts are looking to what is a “crucial” time for pubs and bars in the capital.
This comes after London saw the highest number of pub closures out of any region in England, with a total of 46 shutting in the first half of 2023.
The hospitality sector has been hit hard in recent months as consumers scale back outings due to inflation and the cost-of-living crisis.
Post-Christmas being dominated by Brits staying at home watching streaming, instead of hitting the pubs and bars. But with a glut of sporting events this weekend, hospitality experts hope Brits will get off the sofa once more.
The rise in NFL and Super Bowl popularity in the last 15 years has been a “great opportunity” for hospitality businesses within the capital, Kate Nicholls, chief executive, UKHospitality, said.
“If the option is there for fans to watch the spectacle then many will, so it’s a great chance for pubs and bars to generate revenue, at a time when every single sale is crucial,” Nicholls continued.
The opening weekend for the Six Nations tournament proved to be a winner for the scene already, with Star Pubs, the pub arm of Heineken UK, reporting a 44 per cent uptick in sales at the weekend’s close.
And to top it all off, there are some heavyweight clashes in the Premier League also, with Manchester City facing off against Everton on Saturday, a crunch game at the top and bottom of the table.
On Sunday before the Super Bowl, Arsenal and West Ham face off, currently in third and seventh, while Aston Villa, who are fourth, play Manchester United in sixth.
But with the Super Bowl now joining in on the hype, the momentum looks set to not just continue, but go to the next level.
“There is no doubt that the local pub is the best place to watch the games,” Lawson Mountstevens, managing director of Star Pubs, said.
Sam Bourke, marketing director at Fuller, Smith & Turner, said they have four locations dedicated to showing the Super Bowl – The Distillers in Hammersmith, One Over the Ait at Kew Bridge, The Elephant in Finchley and The Market Stores in Reigate – all staying open until 4 am.
“Bookings are open with a steady flow of fans securing their seats – if our customers enjoy the night, next year we will have even more pubs open to celebrate this tribute to all things American,” Bourke said.
“The atmosphere on these occasions is just electric with the fans all in their tribal colours, enjoying performances from brilliant bands and cheerleader displays,” he continued.
Dean Prosser, head of Digital at Belushi’s Bars, said: “The Super Bowl is one of our biggest nights for sport every year, with an incredibly enthusiastic community behind it.
“Over the past five years especially we have seen a huge increase in interest for Super Bowl night, with all of our sites in London packed to the rafters with football fans from across the globe.”
“Nearly all” of Belushi’s Super Bowl packages in its five locations throughout the capital have been sold out this year, Prosser said, which is a result of the NFL’s “enthusiastic community”.
“The wider industry in London may not yet feel the full effect of the Super Bowl phenomenon, but we’re confident that it will become a must-see for any UK sports fan in the near future,” he added.