By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –@tvanswerman
TV Answer Man, I am a Bears fan and I am traveling today in Dallas. I want to watch the (Chicago) Bears (who play the Carolina Panthers) tonight on Thursday Night Football at a local bar. How can you tell which bars will have the game? — Bill, Evanston, Illinois.
DIRECTV & Amazon Have a Deal For TNF In Bars
Bill, DIRECTV and Amazon last year signed a multi-year deal that will permit the satcaster to provide Thursday Night Football broadcasts to more than 300,000 bars, restaurants, hotel lounges and other business venues. This will enable the commercial establishments to show the games without installing a more sophisticated streaming system than what they may previously have in place. But how can you tell which bars and restaurants will show the games via the DIRECTV transmission?
What Is the DIRECTV Sports Bar Finder?
All you have to do is download DIRECTV’s Sports Bar Finder, an app that uses GPS to map sports bars and other venues that subscribe to the satcaster’s programming, specifically select offerings such as the Sunday Ticket, NBA League Pass, MLS Season Pass, NHL Center Ice, Longhorn Network, Big Ten Network, SEC Network and more. The Sports Bar Finder, which is available from the Apple App Store and Google Play, will allow you to search your area, select your favorite bars, and filter selections by packages, channels and networks.
For instance, let’s use Dallas, Texas as an example. There are dozens of choices as you can see from the graphic below. When you click on a button in your preferred area, it will highlight different establishments that will have the Thursday Night Football game. The places not only include bars and restaurants, but fast food stops such as McDonald’s. You’ll know if a particular establishment will have Thursday Night Football because the TNF graphic will be displayed under the bar title and address.
Looking for a bar that will stream Amazon’s TNF game? Just click a button in the DIRECTV Sports Bar Finder.
The app also has a daily sports schedule with listings information which you can see here. If you’re a sports fan who likes to frequent drinking establishments, the Sports Bar Finder is a must-have. And it’s free.
Bill, hope that helps. Happy viewing and stay safe!
Have a question about new TV technologies? Send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvanswerman.com Please include your first name and hometown in your message.
The TV Answer Man is veteran journalist Phillip Swann who has covered the TV technology scene for more than three decades. He will report on the latest news and answer your questions regarding new devices and services that are changing the way you watch television.
