Manchester and sports have always gone hand in hand. The city has two strong football teams and is one of the hubs for cricket in the North of England. There are loads of other sports that take place in Manchester, and there are plenty of places to sit and watch sports from the region and all over the world.
In this guide, we will run through some of the best bars where you can watch sporting events in Manchester, including pubs that have become sporting hotspots, and bars that were specifically designed to show all the big fixtures.
Grosvenor Casino
This may not be the first location to jump into your head, but a casino can be a good venue to watch sports.
Of course, if they offer sports gambling, they tend to offer a place where you can sit and watch the big sporting events of the day. They also tend to have nonstop coverage of a wide range of sports, so no matter what game, match or race you are looking for, they will most likely be showing it.
Land based casinos are also facing stiff competition from online sites who offer bonuses and other benefits to potential players, so they have really had to up their game in recent years.
This means that the other amenities on site are top class, and the Grosvenor Casino in Manchester is no different. Located on George Street, the central location is ideal for those looking for a great sports bar in the city.
It is much more than just a casino, branding itself as a day and night leisure venue with a top-class restaurant and bar facility. It is open 24 hours a day, so it is ideal for catching sporting events that happen outside of usual trading hours. The food in the restaurant is of a very high quality, and the staff make this one of the best places in the city to watch sports in.
The Brotherhood
Looking for a bar with a real American vibe to it? If you’re a fan of American sports, it may be difficult to find a spot in Manchester where you can watch NFL, NBA, NHL or MLB games. Given the dominance of football in the area, a decent sports bar with good USA sports coverage is hard to come by. However, The Brotherhood has got you covered!
The Brotherhood has a cool industrial vibe to it and is situated near Albert Square. As well as American sports, you can enjoy English sports such as rugby and football, plus international events like big boxing matchups.
The American theme is added to even more by the food and drink options, with American beers as well as nachos, burgers, wings and other American style food that you might be offered if you head to a bar in New York or California.
There are ping pong tables and you can also get your own private booth with a TV just for you and your group. The atmosphere is always good, and we would recommend visiting during the Super Bowl and College Basketball seasons.
BOX Manchester
BOX bars have become popular in many parts of the UK. The Manchester venue in Deansgate is located right in the heart of the city. This is a dedicated sports bar, so in terms of sport selection and coverage it is definitely up there on the list of the best places for live sport in Manchester.
The BOX shows sport all day long, with coverage of BT, Sky and Box Office events displayed on premium wide screen HD televisions. The atmosphere in the bar is great, with sports fans from a wide range of games coming to the venue on a regular basis.
On top of their great sports coverage, they also have a delicious food menu. It is standard pub grub, such as pizzas, burgers and wings, but the quality of the food is amazing and makes it a really attractive destination for sports fans.
We would recommend trying the hand formed beef burger in a brioche bun with triple cooked chips. They also offer a £7 lunch menu and have different specials based on current sporting events. There is also an extensive cocktail menu and ever changing craft beer selection from some of the best local independent breweries like Seven Bro7thers and North Brewing Co.
Sixes social cricket
Sixes is another place where you can watch sports in Manchester and to say that this bar is themed around sport is a complete understatement. Sixes is a cricket-themed bar, and the big USP of the venue is that you can play cricket there, with nets set up to catch any stray balls! This makes for a great laugh, and the simulation that you can play also gives a cool experience that you won’t find in many bars.
On top of this, you can watch many different sports in the bar, and if cricket isn’t your cup of tea, there are plenty of other sports you can enjoy on the screen as Sixes shows football, rugby and much more. They cater to corporate events and group celebrations, making it an ideal destination for a work or stag do. The Manchester venue also runs a bottomless brunch on Saturdays and Sundays, so you can drink all the fizz and cocktails you want while watching your favourite game on the TV.
Shooters Bar & Bierkeller
Shooters Bar & Bierkeller is another well-known bar in Manchester where you can watch a wide variety of sports. You can find the bar at The Printworks, Withy Grove, Manchester. It claims to be the largest sports bar in the whole of the city. Their own website explains that the bar “has multiple Sky boxes enabling them to be able to show multiple games at the same time from a wide range of sporting events plus all your favorite football fixtures from the Barclays Premier League, UEFA Champions League, Sky Bet Championship, La Liga and Serie A.”
There is a focus on football due to its popularity in the city, but there are other sports shown in this sizable venue, which has some massive projection screens. There are also pool tables and other games, as well as a great selection of food and drink within the bar. It’s a great place to spend your afternoon watching sports and relaxing with your friends.
