How to show football fixtures in your pub (and get people in before kick-off)
A simple weekly routine for showing football fixtures in a UK pub: where to check them, what to put on your board, screens and socials, the 3pm Saturday rule explained, the licences to check, and how to get people in early.
Match days can be the best days of the week for a pub, or a let-down where the crowd turns up five minutes before kick-off and leaves at full time. A lot of the difference is just telling people, clearly and early, what you're showing and when.
Here's a simple weekly routine.
Where to check the fixtures
- The clubs' and leagues' own websites are the most reliable for dates and kick-off times.
- Check again a week before. Games get moved for TV, cup runs and the weather. A poster with the wrong time is worse than no poster.
- Check again on the morning. Late changes do happen.
Keep one list for the week: the games you'll show, the kick-off times, and which screen each one goes on.
Decide what you're showing
Before you tell anyone, decide:
- Which games. Your local clubs first, then the big games your regulars care about.
- Which screen. If two games clash, say which screen shows which.
- Sound or no sound. Usually the biggest game gets the sound.
- Food. Is the kitchen open? Is there a match-day deal?
On Sunderland and Newcastle match days at our place in Washington, the spin the wheel comes out too. A small thing like that becomes part of the routine.
Put it everywhere
The board outside
People walking past decide in seconds. Keep it to the games, the times and one offer. "SUNDAY 2PM. FOOD SERVED ALL DAY."
Your screens
Put the week's fixtures on your TVs from Monday, and today's games on the day. A countdown to kick-off gives people a reason to look up. Our post on what to put on your pub TVs has more.
Your socials
Post the weekend's fixtures on Thursday, and today's on the morning of the game. Keep the same format every week so people learn to look for it.
Your Google listing
Add a post to your Google Business Profile with the week's big games. It shows up when people search for pubs nearby.
Table cards
A card on each table with this week's games. Change it every Monday.
The 3pm Saturday rule
Customers often ask why a 3pm Saturday game isn't on. In England, most Saturday 3pm football isn't shown live on UK TV because of a long-standing rule, often called the 3pm blackout. Yahoo Sport describes it as a ban on live football on television on Saturdays from 2.45pm to 5.15pm, dating back to the 1960s, when clubs worried TV would hurt crowds at lower-league grounds.
So when your local team plays at 3pm on a Saturday, you can't show it live. But people still want to follow it together. Put the other fixtures, the league table and a round-up of the 3pm results on your screens, and give people a reason to come in anyway.
Licences to check
TV Licence. TV Licensing says: "Any pub or bar which shows live television must be covered by a valid TV Licence." That covers any channel and any device, including streaming.
A commercial subscription. Live sport in a pub needs a commercial subscription from whoever holds the rights. A home subscription isn't for a pub.
Music licence. PPL PRS says pubs will usually need TheMusicLicence to use the television for showing sports and other programming in public.
Hours. Late kick-offs abroad, and some tournament games, can run past your normal hours. Check your licence, and if you need longer, see our guide to Temporary Event Notices.
Get people in before kick-off
The match itself fills the pub for 90 minutes. The money is in the hour before and the hour after.
- A pre-match quiz about the local club, starting an hour before kick-off, with a prize for the winner. Our post on pre-match quizzes explains how.
- A food offer that ends at kick-off.
- Table bookings for the big games.
- Something after full time. The other results on the screens, the table, food still going.
Don't forget the rugby
Everything here works for rugby too. The 2027 Six Nations starts on Friday 5 February. Our Six Nations 2027 guide has every fixture and kick-off time.
How StockTap TV helps
On match days, StockTap TV's screens show the games you're showing today and their kick-off times, a build-up countdown before your team's game, fixtures, league tables and a 3pm round-up. Live scores update by themselves. The match-day screens are live at Teal Farm and coming to founding pubs. The pre-match quiz is live now, and the spin the wheel comes round on the TVs on Sunderland and Newcastle match days at Teal Farm. We never show anyone's channel or logo. See match days, or join the founding pubs.
Frequently asked questions
Why can't pubs show 3pm Saturday football?
Because of a long-standing rule, often called the 3pm blackout, that stops most Saturday 3pm games being shown live on UK TV. It dates back to the 1960s and was meant to protect crowds at lower-league grounds.
Do I need a TV Licence to show football in my pub?
Yes, if you show it live. TV Licensing says any pub or bar that shows live television must be covered by a valid TV Licence.
Where should a pub get its football fixtures from?
The clubs' and leagues' own websites. Check a week before and again on the day, because games get moved.
How do I get people in before kick-off?
Give them a reason: a pre-match quiz, a food offer that ends at kick-off, or table bookings for the big games.
Sources
- Yahoo Sport: What is football's Saturday 3pm TV blackout?
- TV Licensing: Pub landlords urged to check TV Licences
- PPL PRS: TheMusicLicence for pubs and bars
We checked every source on 24 October 2026. Rules change, so check the latest version before you act. Nothing here is legal advice.