Give me some feedback on the local success of sports bars in your area. Are they a thing of the past? We just had a major one go out of business. I play a sports bar on Saturday night and if it wasn't for karaoke, I think the bar would belly-up in no time. It's dead every other night.
Bars use to be the place to go to watch sports because they had big TVs or pay-per-view.
It's the minority of households today that don't have a big TV of some kind. And everyone has cable or dish reception that you pay good money for.
This statistic was on TV about a month ago. It listed the percentage of female sports fans across the country. Pittsburgh ranked the highest with 35% of the females into sports. It was all downhill for the rest of the country.
Now it seems to me if I owned a bar, I would much rather cater to the 65% female demographic. Who do guys want to see in the bar? More Men or women?
Women...would you rather go to a bar that caters to sports or doesn't cater to sports?
The reason I'm asking is...a guy that's opening a brand new sports bar talked to me about doing karaoke. I didn't know it was a sports bar until he left. Someone that knows him told me. He was bragging about the 10 Big screen TVs around the bars.
I look at it this way.
Mr. Sports Bar Owner. Every New Years Day you give me $100,000 as a bet. If all of the local professional teams (Football, Baseball, Hockey and any Big 10 college teams) have winning seasons, I'll return the money. If they don't, I keep it. Because that's just about what you are basing your business on. All teams having winning seasons year after year. I have noticed the local fans are very fickle especially if the teams are losing. Nobody wants to come out and spend money. They are too busy crying about their team losing. I would never count on fans to be my major bread and butter on a consistant yearly basis. If you notice, the majority show up for the game and they leave immediately after it ends, unless they leave before it ends because their team is hopelessly behind. Another thing....if it's a home game the bar is empty because everyone had tickets. If they win they might be in after the game to celebrate some more. If they lose the bar will be a ghost town.
Over 15 years I have seen televised and local sporting events hurt the bar's income more than it has helped. And they play hell on the karaoke business. And usually it's for a handfull of nuts. Not any kind of a money spending majority.
I'll take the normal people any day....
Sports Bars
I don't know about other areas but fall is huge for sports bars up here. Between college and NFL football, the places are packed on Saturdays and Sundays. What's really cool about that is it means more opportunities for guys like us to get shows during the week as these places look for ways to put butts in the seats when there aren't any major sporting events on.
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OnTheMicDJs
- Posts: 20
- Joined: Fri Apr 27, 2007 5:20 pm
- Location: Allentown PA
We have a gig at a "sports bar" on Sunday nights, but we are in a separate part of the bar...I was unsure at first, but it has been quite successful. We position our speakers in such a way that they are not interfering with "the big game" yet not compromising the quality of our show.
I do, however, know of a show in my area, not hosted by me, but it is at a sports bar...lots of college guys and sports junkies...many people complain about karaoke there becuase it does interfere with the game. I guess it all depends on the crowd, the layout of the bar, and how obnoxious the KJ is.
I do, however, know of a show in my area, not hosted by me, but it is at a sports bar...lots of college guys and sports junkies...many people complain about karaoke there becuase it does interfere with the game. I guess it all depends on the crowd, the layout of the bar, and how obnoxious the KJ is.
well 2 things:
my soon to be husband moved here 2 years ago and he was stunned to find that we didn't have 1 sports bar... in the last 3 months 1 has opened RIGHT now i find the province is packing in the gambling machines and business is booming.
I'm finding more competition with machine players than sports fans.
my soon to be husband moved here 2 years ago and he was stunned to find that we didn't have 1 sports bar... in the last 3 months 1 has opened RIGHT now i find the province is packing in the gambling machines and business is booming.
I'm finding more competition with machine players than sports fans.
I use to play a bar that had a pizza shop beside it. One night I talked to the PS owner. He told me that if the home team was winning the game, the pizzas would fly out the door. If they were losing he may as well be home watching the game. Because everyone was so mad about the game they wouldn't order anything. He wasn't happy about it.
Just another business effected by fickle fans. Waahhhh...... my team lost....I'll be in my bed with my "nanky" crying myself to sleep...I'm too upset to eat....
The sports bars in your area that are busy...is the home team on a winning roll? Or do you think it doesn't matter to them (the fans)? Just another excuse to act like an idiot in public...
If the game is on during karaoke with the sound down...if anything exciting happens they get loud, obnoxious and become disruptive. Making the unfortunate karaoke singer very uncomfortable. It also distracts from their time in the singing spotlight. Being in a different room would help. But most bars are not that big. I wouldn't want some drunk loudmouths ruining my song especially if the rotation was over an hour long.
I absolutely hate it when any game is on during karaoke. I pray for every home team to lose, so there won't be any karaoke disrupting playoff games adding to a longer season.
I really don't like it if there is an open pool table, dart machine or those stupid golf machines in the same room as the karaoke. The jerks act the same way playing those games. If they win or lose. Too much yelling for me. If I attracted the screaming drunks then I guess it wouldn't matter. My quality karaoke crowds don't like the immature disruptions. The chances for a bar fight increase also. I hate those televised games...all of them.....
If you look at it from a business stand point. I think they would make more money catering to a steady karaoke crowd than banking on a good sports night. Most fans are only worried about the home team anyway. And they can only play one night/day a week. Karaoke people come faithfully week after week. Not just when a certain hometown singer (comparing the singer the the home team) will be there.
Just another business effected by fickle fans. Waahhhh...... my team lost....I'll be in my bed with my "nanky" crying myself to sleep...I'm too upset to eat....
The sports bars in your area that are busy...is the home team on a winning roll? Or do you think it doesn't matter to them (the fans)? Just another excuse to act like an idiot in public...
If the game is on during karaoke with the sound down...if anything exciting happens they get loud, obnoxious and become disruptive. Making the unfortunate karaoke singer very uncomfortable. It also distracts from their time in the singing spotlight. Being in a different room would help. But most bars are not that big. I wouldn't want some drunk loudmouths ruining my song especially if the rotation was over an hour long.
I absolutely hate it when any game is on during karaoke. I pray for every home team to lose, so there won't be any karaoke disrupting playoff games adding to a longer season.
I really don't like it if there is an open pool table, dart machine or those stupid golf machines in the same room as the karaoke. The jerks act the same way playing those games. If they win or lose. Too much yelling for me. If I attracted the screaming drunks then I guess it wouldn't matter. My quality karaoke crowds don't like the immature disruptions. The chances for a bar fight increase also. I hate those televised games...all of them.....
If you look at it from a business stand point. I think they would make more money catering to a steady karaoke crowd than banking on a good sports night. Most fans are only worried about the home team anyway. And they can only play one night/day a week. Karaoke people come faithfully week after week. Not just when a certain hometown singer (comparing the singer the the home team) will be there.
Well the home hockey team is in the playoffs and the bar business on the first playoff night sucked. The people that were there watching the game left as soon as the game ended. Can't count on them to stay and spend money. 25 total all night long and only 5 singers all night. They even gave last call early. I sang much of the night. It was a home game so most of the crowd was either at the game or they had house parties. The bar I play in is a good 20-25 miles for the site of the game. This was also bad because all of the bars downtown were probably packed, because we won. Nobody wanted to be in the sticks celebrating.
As the playoff games drag on I am still praying for the home team to lose so it doesn't get to the Stanley Cup for even more business disruption. Nothing personal, but i hope the star breaks his leg.
As the playoff games drag on I am still praying for the home team to lose so it doesn't get to the Stanley Cup for even more business disruption. Nothing personal, but i hope the star breaks his leg.
The new sports bar in town is booming.... The Eleventeen year old bar has been sold and isn't going to reopen... there has been a real shift in my town... another bar put in more gambling machines... the new casino brought in a KJ for 2 nights a week.... the bar i work at, where i have packed saturdays for over a year changed Karaoke nights, to friday instead of Saturday... they have hired me on saturdays to do a country dance night... the new owner of the bar is 70+... i don't think this is going to work but he wants to give it 3 weeks... so let's see... I don't know what to say... if it ain't broke don't fix it!!!
3 weeks is not enough time to see if a change in the karaoke night will work. I would start looking for another bar gig. As you said, you can not change anything that works well in todays economic atmosphere.
Chaulk it up to stupid bar owner. Most of these bar owners expect instantly packed nights. And they will blame you if it's not good. 70+
Not in tune with todays business climate. He's listening to a few of his gezzer buddies, instead of using good solid business sense. SORRY, BUT You can't base a living on the geriatric crowd.
I have a regular Saturday night that has been going more than 8 years. The bar owner wanted me to do Friday and Saturday. When the Friday didn't draw as many people as Saturday in a month he quit. In my opinion he didn't give it enough time. The people were coming but it takes a lot of time for the word to spread. I told the owner that it was only going to get better but he couldn't wait. He has tried DJs and KJs on Friday and NOTHING has worked better than what I had it up to when he pulled the plug. If he would have waited a little longer he would have had 2 packed karaoke nights instead of one.
The freshness of the new sprots bar will wear off.
Chaulk it up to stupid bar owner. Most of these bar owners expect instantly packed nights. And they will blame you if it's not good. 70+
Not in tune with todays business climate. He's listening to a few of his gezzer buddies, instead of using good solid business sense. SORRY, BUT You can't base a living on the geriatric crowd.I have a regular Saturday night that has been going more than 8 years. The bar owner wanted me to do Friday and Saturday. When the Friday didn't draw as many people as Saturday in a month he quit. In my opinion he didn't give it enough time. The people were coming but it takes a lot of time for the word to spread. I told the owner that it was only going to get better but he couldn't wait. He has tried DJs and KJs on Friday and NOTHING has worked better than what I had it up to when he pulled the plug. If he would have waited a little longer he would have had 2 packed karaoke nights instead of one.
The freshness of the new sprots bar will wear off.
Well Last night was my first and Last country dance night evening... it didn't even last the whole night only 3 hours... then people started complaining and we lost lots of customers... so he has decided to contract me for 1 year - 2 nights a week - with 1 saturday off a month... he didn't ask for a deal and I am not offering.. i knew this wasn't going to work.. let's hope I can get my regular crowd back on saturday nights.. since this has been so wishy washy since he purchased it... not 1 person showed up for his country night Idea.
Even when I have to sing more than usual, I very rarely sing a country song unless it is very upbeat. I figure there will be enough country songs sung during the night and I don't want to add to it. Country crowds are not like they use to be. And especially at karaoke. Whatever country songs get sung are usually plenty and if you watch the crowd reaction to them you will see that.
Country music isn't going to keep the nonsingers at the bar and spending money. It's (country) a very SELECT crowd. Karaoke crowds are very diverse. So really too much of anything could be a bad thing. But I'll skip the country music if I'm trying to get the nonsingers to stay. Unless they happen to be a majority. But I never have to worry about that.
Country music isn't going to keep the nonsingers at the bar and spending money. It's (country) a very SELECT crowd. Karaoke crowds are very diverse. So really too much of anything could be a bad thing. But I'll skip the country music if I'm trying to get the nonsingers to stay. Unless they happen to be a majority. But I never have to worry about that.
Big playoff game tonight there was not an empty seat in the bar, until the karaoke started. An hour late, I might add. 4 regular singers and 4 new singers. The sports crowd bailed out like the building was on fire the second the game ended. Some did stay to listen for a while (about an hour) then it was all downhill till I stopped at 1AM with 3 singers left and 2 listeners. They had pretty much stopped drinking (buying) so why stay?
An hour late, I might add. 4 regular singers and 4 new singers. The sports crowd bailed out like the building was on fire the second the game ended. Some did stay to listen for a while (about an hour) then it was all downhill till I stopped at 1AM with 3 singers left and 2 listeners. They had pretty much stopped drinking (buying) so why stay?
