Premiership preview

Our Premiership preview takes a look at the beautiful game and includes:

• A look at whether pubs can afford to miss out on Sky; Greene King's football activity; the benefits of pub fantasy football; football themed quizzes; and the chance to win a pair of Premiership tickets
• A listing of matches to be televised live by Sky Sports
• A look at the chances of the 20 Premiership teams for the new season
• A profile of Essex licensee Frank Shivers, showing how pubs can make sport work.

With the footie season about to kick-off, can pubs afford to miss out on Sky?​

The bright spark who invented the phrase "sky high" couldn't have known how right they would be. Sky Sports' rocketing subscription fees, up by 22 per cent for some pubs in time for the coming football season, have angered the trade yet again. But it won't stop many licensees from forking out and hoping they can make the Sky coverage pay its way.

With the average Sky subscription now £365 per month excluding VAT the cost is, however, forcing managed chains to look very hard at which of their outlets can afford it.

Following the latest hike Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries cut its pubs with Sky from 280 to 190 and Greene King reduced Sky-registered pubs by 40 to 275.

"Sky keeps raising the hurdle for us," said Greene King marketing manager Adam Collett. "It is becoming more difficult for us to make it pay."

But while the bigger groups can refine the segmentation of their estates, focusing support on fewer sports-led pubs, independent licensees are left in a quandary. Many community pubs are marginal businesses which rely heavily on the extra custom Sky brings in.

Those who are able to take a step back and consider the hard commercial realities, however, see screening football and other sports in pubs as an increasingly specialist enterprise.

Rob Millar, who runs the Sportspubs website which promotes pubs screening sports, believes the whole trade needs to review its sports coverage. "If you don't position yourself as a specialist sports pub you won't be able to cover the cost of a Sky subscription," he said.

He points out that when a pub puts on any form of entertainment, take over the bar has to amount to three-and-a-half times the cost of that entertainment to make it pay.

That means the average Sky pub has to be sure it can take an extra £16,000 a year as a result of having the service.

Sky itself is recommending licensees make the necessary profit and loss calculations before taking out a subscription rather than make a casual decision that it would be nice to show Premiership games.

Brewer Carlsberg-Tetley (C-T) is pumping plenty of support into pub football this season, but on-trade marketing controller Adam Young believes that "some pubs with Sky simply can't justify paying the fee. They are feeling the pain."

The danger lies in being half-hearted about the opportunity that showing live football provides. "It is about being focused," said Adam. "The cost of Sky means pubs must advertise games properly. You can't just turn the telly on."

If you promote football well, the rewards are there. C-T estimates that in the right environment its own volumes can rise by 37 per cent during a big game and it is prepared to help licensees boost their football promotion.

For £20 a month membership of its Carlsberg Experience club includes a poster service, a newsletter highlighting upcoming matches plus promotional ideas.

Essex licensee Frank Shivers, (Click herefor a profile), is a good example of how pubs can make sport work.

For the England v Argentina game last summer he put up a marquee in the back garden with a big screen, music and a barbecue to keep the party going, and took enough to pay for an average annual pub's Sky subscription in a single day.

For other big games a prime viewing area in the bar is designated the Director's Box and reserved for regulars.And you might see a member of staff serving the Archers' own West Ham-themed "Claret & Blue" shots (made with red and blue After Shock) from a Booze Tube strapped to their back.

How to afford a Sky subscription​

• Invest in good quality equipment. If you are using a big screen projector make sure it is smoke-protected
• Position screens so the game can be seen from any part of the pub - including at the bar
• Create an atmosphere. Turn the commentary up and play upbeat music before and after the game and at half time
• Advertise games well in advance. Use A-boards and posters. Build a database of customers for mailshots, emails and texts
• Use drinks promotions on the day to keep people in the pub longer. Offer cut-price pitchers and buckets of bottled beer and give away a raffle ticket with every pint, delaying the prize draw until half-an-hour after the game
• Run competitions, such as a football quiz, after the match
• Offer free finger food on match days, including meal platters for groups, and theme your menu around sport
• Get a reputation as a sports pub by sponsoring the local team and taking an interest in local clubs
• Plan staff rotas so you can ensure good service
  on the day
• Dress staff in team strip
• Offer table service to reduce the crush at the bar
• Set aside VIP areas and sell tickets
• Consider making your sports bar female-friendly - or even family-friendly
• Deck out the bar with sports memorabilia. Write to local clubs and stars and see what they will let you have
• Think about PR. Invite your sports hero for a drink

Greene King pubs get their kit on​

Greene King pub managers from around the country gathered at Southampton FC's St Mary's ground at the end of July for some vital pre-season training.

The company unveiled a new link-up with brewer Scottish Courage for the coming campaign, covering both football and rugby.

Each of Greene King's 250 sports-led pubs will receive a "marketing toolkit" including monthly fixture lists and point-of-sale material to promote games.

"A customer is three times as likely to visit their local pub to watch a game if they are sure the game is going to be shown and they know there is going to be a good atmosphere," said Jennie Fisher, brand manager for the group's Real Pubs division.

To help raise awareness of matches screened in Greene King pubs, the Peter "'ave it!" Kay character from the John Smith's Bitter advertising will appear across the entire football marketing package.

He will be joined by a range of stick-on cartoon characters wearing different Premiership strips which can be used according to which club the pub follows.

A range of mechanics will help create atmosphere including merchandise to give away, free bets sponsored by Holsten Pils and the Coca-Cola Field of Dreams competition to win a football strip.

Big Match Offer beer promotions are also available and individual managers are encouraged to add more activities using their own ideas.

Scoring from football​

• Five of Greene King's 10 biggest sales days last year were driven by football
• England v Denmark in the World Cup took more money than any day except New Year's Eve
• 3.6 million pints of beer are sold in Greene King pubs on football days
• Greene King pays out a total £1.7m a year in Sky subscriptions for 275 pubs

More on the forthcoming Premiership​

A look at the benefits of pub fantasy football; football themed quizzes; and the chance to win a pai