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When the Brooklyn Dodgers faced the New York Yankees in the 1947 World Series, an average of 55,680 people attended each game.
But for the first time, millions of people also were able to see the World Series on television — just not necessarily from their homes.
TVs were prohibitively expensive at the time, so in order to see the Dodgers and Yankees, most people had to go to a place that had a television. That meant a bar, and the combination of baseball and alcohol 70 years ago gave rise to the sports bar concept that exists today.
“Sports bars date back as far as the television,” said Robert Thompson, a Syracuse University professor and pop culture expert. “When a bar got a television set, it became a place where you go to watch things, like a movie theater.”
In the late 1940s, bars had a monopoly on televised sporting events, including baseball, boxing and wrestling. It wasn’t until 1953, when 50 percent of all households had a television, that sports bars faced their first real competition.
All of a sudden, people could choose where to watch a big sporting event. And that began a process of constant adaptation that has allowed sports bars to remain in business.
Although Thompson and local sports-bar owners and marketing personnel agree the establishments aren’t struggling these days, they acknowledge they have to work harder to draw customers. That means such offerings as food and drink specials, and entertainment.
“Things have changed a lot,” said Tony DeCosmo, director of marketing for Grotto Pizza’s Pennsylvania restaurants. “Twenty years ago, local sports bars like ourselves were the only places that had the NFL package and out-of-market games, so people automatically went out to watch these events. (But) you have a customer base now that has so many choices. You have to give people an experience they can’t get at home.”
DeCosmo said Grotto has placed more emphasis on live music, specialty drinks and craft beer. The big game is still the big draw, but other enticements make the day complete, he said.
That wasn’t the case years ago, when simply having the big game and a lot of televisions were enough to attract a crowd and stay in business.
Thompson said cable television and subscription sports packages gave rise to the heyday of the sports bar in the early 1990s. Back then, Thompson said, some bars pushed the situation to the limit, installing massive banks of television screens to provide patrons with every game and sports channel on the air.
Many sports bars have come and gone, and the competition presented by the availability of every sporting event at one’s home threatened the bars’ appeal.
To stay in business, sports bars had to rely on their strength.
“People like to come out to watch a game at a sports bar because of the food and the chance to share the experience with other fans,” said Tara Bowers, owner of Major League Sports Bar in Sugar Notch, which has been in business for 25 years. “The social element is a big draw. People like to have someone to talk to while they’re watching the game.”
Still, a sports bar isn’t the only option when it comes to communicating with fellow fans.
Thompson said people have four choices: They can go to a game in person; go to a bar and watch with others; stay home and invite others over; or stay home and watch the game alone.
Sports-bar owners hope people choose the second option, and Thompson said the social aspect sets the bars apart.
At a sports bar, Thompson said, strangers can cheer together for a favorite team, criticize the referees and, perhaps most importantly, showcase their knowledge.
“Part of the fun of watching sports is being a color commentator in the room, and that works better in the social setting of a sports bar,” Thompson said. “You can go to a sports bar and perform for strangers and be a performer/spectator. That’s the other motive behind going to a sports bar to watch a game.”
But it isn’t the only motive.
Bowers said the food is a big draw for her business. Major League offers a “wing night” special every Wednesday and Thursday, and many people come out just for the food. If a big game happens to be on at the same time, all the better.
Still, some events are so big that all a sports bar needs to do to attract a crowd is open the door and turn on the televisions.
“The baseball playoffs were really good when the Yankees were playing, and the Super Bowl and World Series are always a draw,” Bowers said. “As is college football, especially when Penn State and Notre Dame are doing well.”
DeCosmo said when Penn State is playing, Grotto doesn’t need to provide live entertainment because the game is the primary focus.
Even fantasy sports games have boosted business for some sports bars, according to DeCosmo. Before baseball and football seasons begin, he said Grotto routinely hosts draft parties for fantasy leagues.
Whatever it takes to offer something unique — in addition to the sports — is a requirement today, DeCosmo said.
So what’s the next challenge on the business horizon for sports bars? Will they need to adapt to something else in order to compel people to watch the game from a bar stool instead of from their couch?
“The dynamics will always be emerging, and there are always going to be people who prefer watching the game from home,” Thompson said. “But there’s always going to be an appetite for watching the game with other people.
“The sports part is always changing, but the bar part of the equation will remain the same.”
