Sports bars score during Stanley Cup playoffs
Almost a third of consumers have visited or plan to visit bars and restaurants to watch the Stanley Cup Playoffs this year. Sports bars are the preferred venue type for more than half of consumers, followed by neighborhood bars. Beer is the clear category preferred by Canadians when out for games, with 3 in 5 consumers saying that is their drink of choice. Following suit are also Spirits such as Vodka and Whisky.
An overwhelming 9 in 10 consumers express their willingness to take part in promotions directly related to the Playoffs in the venues. Likewise, 4 in 5 consumers are also keen to have a drink that is affiliated with the NHL, or one of the teams, while watching the Playoffs in bars and restaurants.
Velocities soar alongside sports betting
Velocity levels in bars and restaurants across all of Canada from the week April 22-29 saw an increase of 12% vs the previous week as Stanley Cup Playoff games ramped up. In Ontario specifically, April 18th represented the first game of the opening round for the Maple Leafs, where velocities on the day were 19% higher vs the previous Tuesday. Double-digit velocity spikes occurred on four other days throughout the week, and Toronto experienced a spike in sales of 16% vs the previous week.
With the growth of sports betting across Ontario, bars and restaurants are further capitalizing on shifting consumer behavior through drink choice, increased spend, and longer time in outlet. The CGA by NIQ US On-Premise Impact Consumer Research Panel revealed that, of the 55% of consumers placing their bets while out watching the Stanley Cup Playoffs, 58% say that watching sports they bet on influences what they drink, 68% mention they are likely to order more drinks watching a game they bet on, and 58% highlight it would keep them longer in venues.
“The Stanley Cup Playoffs offer bars and restaurants many opportunities to capitalize on the uptick in demand and visitation that takes place on game nights. Event-based visitation remains a key avenue for the hospitality industry, and there are many areas within consumer’s path to purchase that can trickle down to venues’ bottom-line. We are continuing to track this behavior as it correlates to sales performance through our solutions, bringing granular insight forward for the On-Premise channel in Canada.”
Mitch Stefani, Client Solutions Director for the Americas
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CGA by NIQ’s Canada On-Premise Impact Reports help brands and operators keep a pulse on the industry, by featuring current insights derived from a variety of CGA’s best-in-class data tools.
To find out more about consumer behavior towards sports betting and consumption during the Stanley Cup Playoffs through CGA’s Impact Report subscription or OPUS, get in touch with touch with Mitch Stefani – mitch.x.stefani@nielseniq.com.
