Combat sports aren’t background sports. Fight fans are an audience that never stops training: they know the card, the stakes and the matchups they want to see go down. They show up ready for every round, every takedown and every close call.
With the first-of-its-kind UFC Freedom 250 event days away from taking over the nation’s capital, sports bars and restaurants have more reason than ever to get fight-night ready. This history-making and headline-stealing UFC event is scheduled for Sunday, June 14 on the White House South Lawn, making it the exact kind of major live moment fans will want to watch, especially if it’s somewhere with the right setup and the right crowd, giving customers a front-row feeling without the arena price tag.
That shared energy matters. Combat sports have a way of turning strangers at nearby tables into a singular group, all rolling with the same punches, reacting to the same near-finish, debating the same decision and, ultimately, looking forward to the next round, both in the fight and at their table.
With DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS®, you can bring that fight-night atmosphere into your lineup and give customers a major reason to choose your business as the place to be when the next big card comes around.
Why Combat Sports Pack a Punch for Your Business
Combat sports are appointment viewing gold. Fight fans plan around big cards. They arrive before the main event begins. They bring their friends. And when major fights require the right commercial license to show in a public venue, your sports bar or restaurant can become the place to watch it legally, clearly and with an amped-up crowd.
That can make a real difference for sports bars and restaurants. A major fight can drive reservations, support food and drink specials, encourage longer visits and bring in a type of customer who doesn’t normally show up to a typical night or for a different sporting event.
The out-of-home audience is real. Through DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS’ partnership with Joe Hand Promotions, major fight events can reach sports bars and restaurants across the country. When Jake Paul and Mike Tyson faced off, the event was distributed to more than 6,000 bars and restaurants around the U.S., setting Joe Hand Promotions’ all-time record for the commercial distribution of a combat sports event.
For sports bars and restaurants, the takeaway lands clean: fight night isn’t just another thing on TV for customers to passively glance at. It’s a reason for customers to make plans to be at your place.
Meet Your Match with the Championship Rounds Package
DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS customers can now access the Championship Rounds Package, designed to help bars and restaurants keep fight night on their calendar. Rather than purchasing events one by one, businesses can get access to a fuller lineup that includes numbered events, prelims, UFC Fight Nights, Zuffa Boxing, Power Slap and more.
This year UFC entered a bold new media rights era, which changed the way consumers watch at home. For sports bars and restaurants, the path is still built around proper out-of-home licensing. With appropriate commercial licensing through Joe Hand Promotions, businesses can access UFC programming through the Championship Rounds Package, or purchase individual numbered UFC event main cards a la carte.
What Other Combat Sports Can You Show?
Boxing: From premium DAZN Boxing cards to rising contenders and championship matchups, traditional boxing gives fans plenty of reasons to gather around the screen. With commercial licensing through Joe Hand Promotions, businesses are able to show DAZN Boxing events on DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS HD Channels 9537-9539.
PFL: ESPN+ FOR BUSINESS, available through DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS, is a useful commercial add-on for fight-friendly venues, giving businesses access to PFL and other live sports programming across dedicated channels.
WWE And AEW: Combat sports entertainment heavyweights like WWE and AEW give fans another reason to gather for big matches, major storylines and watch-party moments that can keep the room engaged beyond traditional fight cards.
Specialty Combat Sports: Adding still-niche but fast-growing events like Power Slap to your lineup can help your business signal to fight fans that you are dialed into fight culture beyond only the biggest headline cards.
Upcoming Fight Nights to Watch
Fight cards can change before the bell rings, but these upcoming events can help sports bars and restaurants start planning promotions:
UFC Freedom 250: Scheduled for Sunday, June 14. This never-before-seen UFC event on the White House South Lawn is a natural anchor that is sure to set the hype bar high for every fight that follows.
PFL San Diego: Scheduled for Saturday, June 27. PFL San Diego gives MMA fans another date to circle and gives businesses a chance to ride the momentum from Freedom 250.
UFC 329: Scheduled for Saturday, July 11. UFC 329 in Las Vegas, with McGregor facing Holloway, is expected to be one of the summer’s major MMA events, which makes it a powerful reason to promote reservations, specials and fight-night viewing.
DAZN Boxing Events: A steady flow of premium boxing cards throughout the summer can help keep your business’s combat sports calendar active between major MMA events.
5 Ways to Do Fight Night Right
Promote the Card Early: Fight fans plan ahead. Use email, in-venue signage and your website to let customers know which events you are showing and when to arrive. Post on social media, too, and let your customers be your mouthpiece.
Know the Fight Night Timeline: Prelims, main cards and main events all matter. Make sure your staff knows what is on, when the biggest fights are expected and how to help guests find the right screen.
Punch Up Your Menu: Themed food and drink items can add to the atmosphere and get customers ordering more. Think fight night specials like Ring Ciders or Grappletinis, TKO Tacos or Knuckle Sandwiches, and other fight-flavored fare that match up to the energy on the screen.
Put Your Patrons Ringside: Combat sports move fast. Smart screen placement, clear audio plans and staff awareness can help customers stay locked in from the opening bell to the final decision.
Keep It Above the Belt with Commercial Licensing: Make sure your business has the proper commercial license for the fights you promote.
Knock Out the Competition with DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS in Your Corner
Combat sports can bring high-energy crowds into your business, but only if your setup is ready before the first fight starts.
DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS brings live sports, news and entertainment together in one unified system. With access to ESPN+ FOR BUSINESS, plus properly licensed UFC and DAZN Boxing events delivered through DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS commercial channels, your sports bar or restaurant can build out a stronger fight-night calendar without having to deal with a patchwork of personal apps and devices.
DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS also delivers 99% worry-free signal reliability, helping your screens stay focused on every bit of action when every round matters. Standard professional installation is included at no additional cost, helping your team get set up without adding more to the fight-night checklist.
Ready to bring more combat sports to your customers? Explore DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS packages today.
