Bar and restaurant owners, let me lay some truth on you. Sports programming isn’t an expense– it’s a profit generator. Over and over again, it’s been proven that when you have a strong sports package on multiple TVs, patrons stay longer. When they stay longer, they drink more. They eat more. They bring friends over. They even spend more on bar trivia and playing than antique “class of 1981” tabletop video game you still have in the corner.
That’s why DIRECTV fought so hard on behalf of business owners to keep NFL Sunday Ticket available on satellite, and that’s why they’ve partnered with Amazon to bring Thursday Night Football to bars. Your bar probably doesn’t have the bandwidth to stream all that stuff, and it’s not legal to stream anyway. Working with DIRECTV isn’t just the only game in town, it’s the best bet.
But what can you do after football season is over?
DIRECTV has year-round sports through MLB Extra Innings, MLS Direct Kick, NBA League Pass, and NHL Center Ice. But even that’s not enough. That’s why DIRECTV has partnered with ESPN to make ESPN+ available exclusively on satellite for business customers. What do you get? I’m glad you asked. Check out this lineup:
COLLEGE SPORTS
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
- The ESPN+ season begins in September and concludes in December
- The offering will include a selection of games every week, mostly on Saturday
- Likely 6-12 weekly games depending on availability
- Will include games from major conferences, including SEC, Big 12 and American
- Will include appearances from Alabama, Georgia, Oklahoma, Auburn, LSU and Oklahoma State
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
- The ESPN+ season begins in November and concludes in March
- The offering will include a selection of men’s and women’s games each week
- 20-30 games per week depending on availability
- Will include games from Big 12, American, SEC and high performing mid-major teams from additional conferences
- We will have games from conference tournaments in March, but the conferences featured and their schedules are TBD
COLLEGE BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL
- A selection of games during the regular season, focusing on Big 12, American and high performing teams from other conferences—schedules to be determined
- A selection of games during conference tournaments including Big 12 and American. Other conferences will be selected based on performance.
OTHER COLLEGE SPORTS
- A selection of games from ranked teams during the regular season, focusing on Field Hockey, Hockey, Soccer and Volleyball
- A selection of games during conference and NCAA tournaments where applicable
COMBAT SPORTS
UFC
- UFC Fight Nights—select prelims and main cards throughout the year
- Select Early Prelim coverage prior to UFC PPVs (PPVs available separately from UFC)
- Full coverage of all 10 weeks of Dana White’s Contender Series (Summer)
- Events:
- January 13: UFC Fight Night: Magomed Ankalaev vs. Johnny Walker
- January 20: Early Prelims for UFC 297
- February 3: UFC Fight Night: Roman Dolidze vs. Nassourdine Imavov
- February 10: UFC Fight Night: Jack Hermansson vs. Joe Pyfer
PFL
- Season begins in April and concludes in March
- Half of all Fight Nights available on the commercial offering, 4-5 matches per window
TOP RANK
- Approximately 24 events throughout the year
- Events:
- December 16: Francesco Grandelli vs. Stefan Voda
- January 13: Artur Beterbiev vs. Callum Smith (Undercards)
- January 20: Natasha Jonas vs. Mikaela Mayer
- January 25: Albert Ramirez vs. Charles Foster
CRICKET ![]()
CRICKET TOURS
- Coverage of select India, West Indies and New Zealand cricket tours
- Events:
- December 12-21: England Tour of West Indies (5 x T20)
- February 3-February 16: New Zealand tour of West Indies (2 x Test)
- February 21-March 11: Australia Tour of New Zealand (3 x T20 and 2 x Test)
SOCCER
BUNDESLIGA
- Season runs from August-May
- 5 international breaks per year
- 4+ top matches per week including Der Klassiker (Bayern Munich vs. Dortmund)
- Teams highlighted in our Bundesliga selections include Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, VfB Stuttgart and Bayer Leverkusen
CARABAO CUP
- The first round begins in August and the Final takes place in late February
- A selection of games from the first few rounds will be made available along with all games in the quarterfinal, semifinal and final rounds (pending availability)
- English Premier League teams join the competition by Round 3, which may include Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool
COPA DEL REY
- The first round begins in November with the Final taking place in April
- A selection of games from the first few rounds will be made available along with all games in the Round of 16 as well as the quarterfinal, semifinal and final rounds (pending availability)
- Teams featured include Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid
LALIGA
- Season runs from August-May
- 5 international breaks per year
- 5+ top matches per week including El Clasico (Real Madrid vs. Barcelona) and the Madrid Derby (Real Madrid vs. Atletico Madrid)
- Select top matches available in both English and Spanish
- Teams highlighted in our LaLiga selections include Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Girona and Real Sociedad
SOCCER
FA CUP
The estimated round dates for FA Cup are as follows
- Final: May 25, 2024
- A selection of games from Rounds 1 and 2 will be made available along with all games from Round 3 through the Final (pending availability)
- English Premier League teams enter the competition in Round 3, with teams that may include Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool
PGA TOUR
PGA TOUR
- Coverage of 30+ PGA Tour tournaments over the course of the year, including THE PLAYERS Championship, the Travelers Championship and the TOUR Championship
- At least 2 feeds per round will be made available on the commercial offering—the Main Feed and one
Featured Group feed
- Events:
- January 4-7: The Sentry
- January 11-14: Sony Open in Hawaii
- January 18-21: The American Express™
- January 24-27: Farmers Insurance Open
NHL
- Regular season runs from October-April
- 50 national games will be available on the commercial offering
LACROSSE
NLL
Season begins December 1, 2023 and concludes April 21, 2024
- 1 game per week will be included, featuring two U.S. teams where possible
PLL
- Season begins in June and concludes in September
- All games will be included (pending availability in September)
TENNIS ![]()
US OPEN TENNIS
- Multiple live court feeds each weekday featuring a full day of matches
- Court selections are made the day before play
WIMBLEDON
- Up to 2 exclusive court feeds each day (weekdays and weekends) featuring a full day of matches
Court selections are made the day before play
Want that in downloadable form? Click here!
It’s worth looking into
ESPN+ will bring a whole new audience into your bar or restaurant. It’s a proven profit builder. So why not check out ESPN+ for Business on DIRECTV?
Here’s what you need to know though… calling DIRECTV’s main line won’t get you where you need to go. DIRECTV doesn’t work with businesses using their main call centers. They rely on special DIRECTV for Business dealers to take the best care of local business owners. And who’s the best one to call? Signal Connect has over 20 years of experience giving excellent customer service to businesses. We know what it takes, and we can make sure you’re getting the attention you deserve.
Call the experts at 888-233-7563 during East Coast business hours to speak with an expert. If it’s after hours, no problem! Fill out the form below and we’ll get right back to you.
