Sports live telecasts help boost growth of F&B outlets: Survey

KUALA LUMPUR: Entertainment broadcasts, namely live telecasts of sporting events, are able to contribute to the growth of food and beverage (F&B) outlets, according to a recent survey by Data, Research and Consultancy Services, Kantar.

The Malaysian Consumer Behaviour Survey on Out-of-Home Consumption and Opportunities found that 95% of Malaysians eat out weekly and watch TV while dining in.

It also found that when the football league is in season, tables with patrons in bars and pubs increased by 50% while for non-bars and F&B outlets, the impact is even greater at 58%.

Indian Muslim and Indian restaurants experienced up to 77% of customers tuning in to live sports telecasts that resulted in them staying twice as longer or up to two hours at their premises.

Kantar Malaysia insights division general manager Paromeeta Mathur Banerjee said that shows entertainment, especially live sports, can be considered as one of the key offerings by any F&B outlets, driven by customer demand.

“F&B outlets that provide Astro entertainment have a high reach, especially in the Klang Valley with an estimated unique customers’ reach of over 4.2 million. Live sports further amplify the impact and reach of F&B outlets in attracting customers and drawing them in to stay longer during each visit,” she said during the Beyond the Menu: Score with More Customers in 2024 event today.

Meanwhile, Astro chief sales and marketing officer Tai Kim Leong remarked that major sporting event broadcasts such as Malaysia League, World Cup and Premier League not only entice new customers and repeat customers into an F&B establishment, but also increase the time spent at the premises.

While he does not guarantee that it would lead to an increase in revenue, Tai noted that it is an added service to offer to customers. Moreover, he pointed out that watching sports broadcasts at F&B outlets is the norm in Malaysian society, among friends and family.

“This new pack has 15 sports channels, 25 non-sports channels and eight free broadcast channels and is offered at a fairer price considering the type of business whether it also serves alcohol or not, and the size of the business at a price starting at RM400 per month.

“In order to facilitate business affairs, the BIZone contract was reduced from 24 months to 12 months compared to the old pack,“ he said.