How to organise a World Cup Watch Party
It’s easy to forget something important when planning for a big event like the World Cup. If you are an event organiser at a club or community centre and are considering hosting a World Cup watch party, these are key planning areas not to be forgotten.
Sports and social club managers should look at how their bar sales can profit over the tournament period. The World Cup guarantees profit and reliable sales for hospitality businesses and host venues. According to AI-driven data from Access Evo, World Cup bookings have a no-show average of 3.67%, far lower than standard – and visitors likely remain at the venue for three hours or more.
According to consumer statistics from the 2024 Euros, the average beer spend was £13.40 across 17,819 orders, food spend was £27.58 across 4,519 orders and wine spend was £19.76 across 2,155 orders. And during the last Euros tournament, we saw 13 million pints sold across the UK in just two hours! Watchers tend to spend more money during the tournament, likely due to the euphoria of celebrating with friends and the community.
Venues which show sports are usually 200-300% more popular over the year than those that don’t. However on singular match days and during big tournaments, sales go up by 60%, limited not by demand but by capacity.
But to make the most of these profitable few weeks while the tournament is on, clubs should consider organising watch parties. Atmosphere should be prioritised, and during home nation matchdays generate measurable difference in footfall and ultimately drink sales.
Temporary Event Notice necessary for World Cup events
Because the world cup is being played in North America, the matches will be played late into the evening. For unlicensed venues, a standard TEN is required, covering upto 499 people. TEN are mandatory for games kicking off after 21:00. TEN need to be applied for through your local council.
Temporary event notices cost £21, and need to be submitted at least 10 days before the event. A TEN should be submitted for each watch party or event. Alongside providing notice of hosting an event – emergency services should also know of your plans. Also your insurance provider will need to be made aware of a large event, they can then check the policy to see if you require temporary additional liability cover.
Necessary additional event insurance for World Cup Events
If you are running a World cup event, where you expect to have a much larger number of members of the public on your premises, then you will need temporary event insurance. This is a temporary policy designed to cover you and your business from increased risk. This is necessary as your standard cover may not be extensive enough to cover you if you exceed your normal numbers of participants, or if safety and security is compromised as staff become overwhelmed.
Temporary event insurance could be the difference between financial security and being embroiled an expensive claim. Even if you are unsure it’s required; don’t take the risk – contact Club Insure today and tell us about your World Cup plans.
Ensure a great viewing experience
Enough screens will be needed so everyone can see the games. Either install multiple screens, or go for one large screen and projector which caters an audience. Your visitors will quickly complains if just one small TV is available, common in most clubs, restricting viewing.
Furthermore, if your club’s TV breaks, and you can’t show games, that’s a major lost revenue stream no longer viable. Clubs and community centres keen on showing the games should have multiple screens available and replacements ready.
TVs need to be covered by your insurance. Any more screens you decide to add or purchase for your bar area needs to be included in your contents cover. The quickest way to do that is to call your broker.
Update the lighting at your premises
Games will be played until late because off the time difference, some games won’t kick-off until 10pm! Clubs should update their outdoor lighting to improve visibility in the car park. Install floodlights, or purchase motion activated outdoor lights. This will greatly help against the likelihood of slips and trips, and to hopefully deter miscreants.
Do a health and safety review of your premises before the World Cup and see where more light could be needed. Replace bulbs and freshen up your premises before hosting large gatherings.
Club and businesses should update their Sums Insured upon adding additional seating and outdoor seating
Any increase to your club’s capacity needs to be added to your insurance. If you plan to host your event outside, utilising outdoor seating, your insurer needs to know. Also if you add more television screens or a projector or additional seating, this could affect your Sums Insured.
Planning to add additional seating, inside or outside, carries risk. And the more contents in your premises, the more costly a fire theft or flood will be. Your Sums Insured need to be updated to include an additions made to your club. Underinsurance is all too frequent and potentially very dangerous for your finances. Learning how to check whether your club is currently underinsured is a necessity, ever more prevalent when hosting a big event.
Renew your Music license
Whether you are setting the mood with “Three Lions” or want to celebrate along to “We are the Champions”, music is essential. To be able to play music legally in a publicly accessible place of business, a music license is required.
Don’t forget to purchase your music license, and double check your current permissions, before the World Cup.
Check your TV license
Every game will be live on the BBC or ITV. Perhaps disappointing for clubs and community centres who have already forked out for a Sky Sports or BT sports subscription, but nevertheless an easy find. Remember this is NOT free – a tv license is required to watch national television.
Ensure you have a valid TV license today. Go to TVLicensing.co.uk to check, and to pay or renew. From the 1st April 2026, a TV licence will cost £180 – well worth the investment.
Marketing and Promotion for a World Cup Watch Party
Organising a World Cup event is a major undertaking – but it won’t be successful if no one knows about it. Market your event to get the most out it. Make sure your community know about the event well in advance.
Physical marketing such as leaflets, flyers, and posters are ideal. Digital media is the best way to get in front of the widest audience; social media, email campaigns and event websites. All these assets such as flyers can be made for free in Canva or Adobe Creative Cloud.
Include essential information, such as the time of the games and when the watch party begins, the dates people are recommended to come, who’s playing, what to expect and when the event ends. With effective communication through word-of-mouth to members and digital marketing, your event will no doubt be popular and profitable.
Before planning a large event, remember to tell your dedicated club insurance broker. We, at Club Insure, are here to help support your endeavours but also to keep clubs financially protected.