For years, sports fans relied on Google, social media or word of mouth to decide where to watch sports. But now more fans than ever will use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to make those decisions for them.
According to one study, 1 in 5 Americans (20%), including 45% of those aged 35–44, now turn to AI tools like ChatGPT for venue discovery. Another study showed 33% of adults aged 25 to 34 utilizing AI to discover local bars, and dining spots.
Those are huge numbers.
Questions like:
…are increasingly being answered directly by AI assistants, search tools and recommendation engines.
The important thing for bars is this:
You don't need to understand AI to benefit from it.
You simply need to make it easy for AI systems to understand what your venue offers.
Traditional search relies heavily on websites and keywords.
AI search behaves more like a recommendation engine.
Instead of simply matching keywords, AI tools try to understand:
That means visibility across multiple channels matters more than ever.
During a normal weekend of sports, many fans already know where they’re going.
But major sporting events like the Super Bowl, World Cup, and NBA Finals creates a very different type of audience.
You suddenly get:
In fact, according to a Kantar study, casual sports fans are most likely to watch sports events outside their home, including bars or restaurants (42%). Many of these people won’t have a “regular bar” they go to.
They’ll search online every single time they want to go out.
And increasingly, they’ll ask AI tools where to go.
If you want your bar to appear in AI-driven recommendations, the key is simple:
Make it obvious online that you show live sports.
That means:
The more consistently your venue appears online connected to live sports, the easier it is for AI systems to understand what your venue offers.
Pick a sport, league and team you want to draw fans from. Search for:
Using ChatGPT, Gemini or Google Search.
If your venue doesn't appear, there's a good chance potential customers aren't finding you either.
That's exactly the problem many bars face.
They're showing the games, but they're invisible online.
One of the biggest misconceptions about online marketing is that bars need complicated strategies or expensive agencies.
In reality, consistency is far more important.
Simple actions like:
…can dramatically improve discoverability.
The venues that win during major sporting events are usually the ones that simply make themselves easy to find.
Many bars assume customers already know they show sports.
But during major sporting events, fans compare options constantly.
If another venue is actively promoting a big game online while yours is silent, they often win the customer before someone even walks down the street.
In fact, 78% of guests will check a sports bar’s website before visiting. If you’re not talking about sports there, they’ll assume you’re not taking it seriously in-venue either.
With FANZO Venues, you can automatically promote your games schedule across multiple channels without needing marketing expertise or spending hours managing posts manually.
That helps your venue stay visible wherever fans are searching.
The Opportunity is Bigger Than Just One Game
Major events don't just increase in guest traffic.
It increases discovery.
Every customer who finds your venue for a big event or tournament becomes a potential repeat customer for:
But first, they need to find you.
And increasingly, AI will decide which venues get recommended first.