By Gifford Lee, editor – Fox Sports Venues magazine
It appears it wasn't just Melbourne toasting victory after Sunday's Hyundai A-League Grand Final, with venues reporting an excellent day of trade.
Many pubs in the Melbourne area benefitted from the game being played at the tiny AAMI Park and the fact many fans missed out on tickets. But such is the A-League's popularity, with television audiences growing year-on-year, fans filled pubs and clubs to see the match live on Fox Sports
Football-friendly Sydney venue Cheers Bar on George St said it was a great day despite the result going the wrong way for fans.
"We always show the A-League live and we get quite strong support," manager Mark Cantrill said. "Sydney may have lost but they are growing and the fans are returning. That has to be good news for venues in this city."
Sunday's Final recorded Fox Sports' highest ever rating for an A-League game – eclipsing the 334,000 that tuned into last year's Final. These figures don't include how many fans watched the game live on Fox Sports in venues.
Fox Sports' commercial manager Ben Campbell said those numbers show that venues stand to benefit from backing the competition.
"Feedback from licensed premises nationally has been that the entire A-League season has been a resounding success, with patrons flocking to pubs and clubs to watch it," Campbell said. "We all know that aside from being in the stadium itself, the next best place to watch live sport and soak up the atmosphere is at your local Fox Sports venue."
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