How pubs can drive matchday sales

Football has the power to pull people into pubs.

Matchdays bring atmosphere, routine and a clear reason for people to choose the pub over the sofa, which is why they remain one of the most valuable trading moments in the on-trade. That opportunity matters even more in a market where people are going out less often and operators need to work harder to give consumers a compelling reason to visit.

Live football creates exactly that kind of pull, with outlets showing live sport up to 11% busier during Premier League matchdays than like-for-like venues that didn’t.¹

Helping pubs make the most of the occasion

Guinness has an important role to play in helping pubs capitalise on that opportunity. It is backing the on-trade with match-ready POS kits, limited edition glassware and activations designed to help operators build excitement in their venues and make matchday feel bigger for consumers.

The best pubs understand that the commercial opportunity lies in the experience that is created around a match - like the build-up in venue and on social media, the atmosphere, the service and the way the drinks offer is presented. Practical supplier support can help operators bring that together more effectively, particularly when the venue is busy and the pressure is on to execute well.

An atmosphere that fans want to be part of

Operators need to think about how matchday trade works across the whole visit: the pre-match drink, the half-time rush to the bar, the post-match debrief and the wider social event around the game.

Those moments all create different needs at the bar, and the venues that perform best are the ones that understand how to serve them. Planning for each stage helps operators maintain momentum, manage demand and keep customers engaged throughout the occasion.

Range is central but occasion drives the choice

Beer remains central to that opportunity. Stout continues to stand out as a strong performer in the on-trade, with volume up 10.7% year on year, while Guinness remains the number one beer brand for consumers across eight sports, including football.²⁻³ That gives operators a strong reason to make stout more visible on matchday, especially when consumers are making occasion-led choices rather than simply brand-led ones.

The growing role of moderation is just as important, reflecting a wider shift in how people are drinking. They still want to be part of the social occasion, but they are more likely to mix up their choices across the visit. For pubs, the opportunity is to make moderation feel naturally embedded in the matchday offer rather than treated as a separate or secondary moment. On football days especially, consumers want to stay involved in the atmosphere without necessarily drinking alcohol throughout the occasion

Non-alcoholic beer is accelerating in the on-trade, with volume up 25.6% year on year and value up 32.2% year on year, while Guinness 0.0 is driving particularly strong growth, up 61.1% in volume year on year.⁴⁻⁵ That growth is being supported by continued investment in brewing capacity. That momentum is being matched by increased availability of Guinness 0.0, enabled by continued investment in brewing capacity by Diageo.

Supporting this increased availability is Diageo’s continued investment in production. Its new Littleconnell Brewery in Co. Kildare, opened this year, includes planned investment in a second brewery dedicated to Guinness and Guinness 0.0, helping expand capacity to support growing demand from the on-trade.

Practical support behind the bar and on the street

Guinness’ role isn’t just about presence in the venue; it is about helping operators execute the occasion more effectively. The focus is on practical help with displays, merchandising and in-outlet execution, helping stores drive sales and sharpen the consumer experience.

That support is complemented by Diageo One which provides 24/7 virtual training, category guidance and digital ordering tools for brands including Guinness, Smirnoff and Captain Morgan.

For operators, that matters because the strongest matchday execution usually comes from simple, repeatable basics: knowing what to stock, how to display it and how to keep service moving when the venue gets busy.

When those fundamentals are in place, the atmosphere becomes easier to sustain and easier to monetise.

Service can make or break the experience

Great matchdays are not just about what is on screen; they are about the people behind the bar delivering quickly and confidently when the pressure is on.

Fans do not want to miss key moments waiting to be served, and they are more likely to return if the experience feels smooth, welcoming and well organised. That is especially true for drinks that rely on consistency and quality of serve, where confidence behind the bar can make a real difference to the customer experience.

There is also a broader point about the role of staff in shaping the occasion. Guinness has made a clear effort to recognise the people behind the bar through initiatives such as its ‘Unsung Heroes’ staff nomination competition, which celebrated teams working on matchdays and acknowledged the people who help bring the occasion to life.

The message is a useful one for the wider trade: matchday success is not just about product visibility, but about the teams who make the experience feel effortless for customers.

Winning beyond the final whistle

As football continues to command attention, the opportunity for pubs is not just to capture the crowd, but to shape what that crowd experiences.

The venues that win are usually the ones that think beyond simply showing the game and instead build a real experience around it. They make the pub feel like the right place to watch, drink and socialise. They make the offer clear. They make the service fast. And they make sure the matchday atmosphere feels genuine rather than forced.

That is also why supplier support is becoming more important, especially for independent operators. By combining practical matchday assets with more regular guidance, training and category support,

Guinness is helping venues translate the football opportunity into stronger execution on the day. The aim is to make it easier for operators to create a compelling atmosphere, maintain service standards and ultimately drive more value from matchday trade.

The wider lesson for the trade is that football remains one of the clearest ways to drive footfall, but it only converts if the venue is prepared to capitalise on the occasion. The pubs that get this right will not only benefit on the day itself, but build stronger habits, repeat visits and better long-term trade.

Matchday is therefore more than a moment to fill the pub; it is a chance to make it the place people choose first.

Author: Joe Gosney, Channel Director National Customers - On Trade, Diageo

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