Champs Sports Bar & Grill in Sheffield is one of the leading venues to catch all the live action of your favourite sporting events and promotes itself on its ‘big screen’ offering for sporting fans wanting to combine unmissable sport with a fantastic Bar & Grill experience.
The new Champs outdoor screen, which looks very impressive, has added another reason for sporting fans to head to the bar for a beer and infamous burger, whilst taking advantage of the vast array of sporting events.
This Summer, Champs Sheffield reaffirmed their status as a leading provider of entertainment sports by installing one of the UKs largest outdoor screens in its busy beer garden. TVC Technology Solutions, based in Bolton, Lancashire and one of the UKs leading AV providers, were delighted to deliver this project, as one of their first outdoor screen installations. TVC have seen enquiries for outdoor entertainment screens increase recently and the opportunity to be part of one of the largest permanent outdoor screen installations at a pub in the UK was very exciting for the Company.
The screen was to be delivered in time for the start of the new 2019 football season and with televised sport being one of the largest attractions for pubs in the UK. Mintel (2018) claim that 28% of pubgoers are attracted by live sport on TV and that venues are using technology to enhance the customer experience, further encouraging consumer attendance. According to a report by MatchPint and CGA, pubs that show Premier League football alone increase their wet sales by upwards of £30,000 per annum and more bars and restaurants are using their outdoor space to further improve revenues and increase usable customer space, without the hefty building costs associated.
Champs has a reputation for being the number one venue to catch the live action of your favourite team or sport and to add to the exceptional viewing and dining experience, with this latest project, they also wanted to introduce a Champs gaming zone which would allow you to play your mates on Xbox and PlayStation.
We understood the importance of creating a memorable experience for Champs customers, so we specified a screen measuring 4m x 2m with a 4.8mm pixel pitch, ideal for both viewing at relatively close distances and further away, a critical feature for any large outdoor screen where the viewers could be sat close by. The screen is powered by a Novastar processor and is connected into the site’s Wyrestorm Network HD system which controls all the AV within the site, used in conjunction with a series encoder, it seamlessly handles mixed resolution sources, content and display devices for matrix and video wall functionality.
The screen is IP65 rated, which means that it is a fully waterproofed, outdoor screen that will withstand those rainy days, while the brightness of the screen at 5500 nits delivers excellent levels of brightness and contrast in direct sunlight, making this screen suitable for all weathers. With the quality and longevity of these outdoor screens and the projected improvement in revenues from increased footfall, this is a commercially attractive installation.
Chris Whitlock, Technical Director of TVC, part of the TVD Group, commented: “It was a great project for us to be involved in, from the sourcing of the product to the installation. We have a great relationship with Punch Taverns and Champs, and work with them on a regular basis providing internal AV solutions for their pubs and bars. Showcasing our expertise and capabilities for such a unique project in the UK and being part of creating a new customer experience on such a large outdoor screen has been very exciting. There will be more and more enquiries of this nature and we are ideally placed to handle these projects and help transform outdoor spaces into experiential entertainment spaces”.
Having caught the success of the Cricket World Cup, the Rugby World Cup is now featuring heavily, with Rugby cited as the second most popular sport to watch on live TV according to CGA’s BrandTrack 2017 survey. And with the UEFA Euro 2020 kicking off next Summer, Champs are perfectly placed to take advantage of the tournament’s popularity, which will take place across 12 cities in 12 European Countries.
John Whitehead, Property Manager at Punch Pubs who operate the Champs pub concept commented: “The outdoor TV screen is a fantastic addition to Champs, Sheffield and really sets it apart as a sports bar in the region. Utilising the increasingly popular outdoor space, we see this as an investment in the bar and its customers. We are providing high quality sporting entertainment for consumers to enjoy, while increasing revenues through attracting new and repeat business. Working with TVC Technology Solutions has been brilliant. Their knowledge and expertise have allowed us to find the perfect product and their professional and reliable installations team have done a wonderful job, with the final product being a great success”.
So, grab your friends and family and head down to Champs, Sheffield for the ultimate outdoor TV sporting experience. The big screen, beer and burgers will not disappoint; the only thing we can’t guarantee is the score!
