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AudioFetch Blog Header - Sports Bars Using Audio Over WiFi Tech

Sports Bars Leveraging Audio Streaming Tech to Attract New Customers

By | Restaurants, Sports Bars | No Comments

The 2020-2021 Triple Whammy–COVID restrictions, supply chain issues, and labor shortages–have hit restaurants and sports bars harder than most industries. And while a recovery is happening slowly (total spending at quick- and full-service restaurants is up 7% compared to 2019, according to Rewards Network) these hospitality businesses are still challenged to drive sales and adhere to any lingering restrictions, both regulated by local governments and strongly encouraged by local customers. 

To address these restrictions, create unique experiences that attract new customers, and help stand out from other local businesses, sports bars and restaurants are leveraging AudioFetch’s next-generation audio over WiFi technology. 

AudioFetch provides an innovative and safe way for customers to listen to muted TVs in the bar. The sports bar sound system allows bar owners to broadcast audio from any and all muted TVs to their customers’ smartphones. Customers can then listen through the free AudioFetch app from anywhere in the bar or restaurant, on the patio, in the parking lot, or even the restroom (hey, some folks don’t want to miss a second of the game!). 

Meeting regulations and creating a safer environment

Staying up-to-date on the constantly changing rules and regulations has certainly been a challenge. They can flip-flop seemingly overnight and restaurants have had to remain agile to ensure they adhere. Not to mention the wavering fears and comfort levels of customers, which can swing widely by the week and result in disruptions and lost revenue as businesses try to adapt.

AudioFetch has evolved with sports bars as they moved from outdoor-only seating and parking lot “tailgate parties” last spring and summer, to half capacity with at least six feet of space between tables over the winter, to full capacity with no-standing-at-the-bar rules over the past few months. The audio streaming technology allows customers to maintain the proper distance between people and tables without needing to blast the TV volume. 

So no matter what the current regulations are, even when they finally get to that “normal” we all keep dreaming about, AudioFetch supports the needs of both the business and its customers.

Airing multiple games for diverse audiences

It’s rare for a sports bar to air the same game on all of their screens. Oftentimes it’s a few different games all taking place at the same time, and for the larger establishments, it might even be several different sports or events throughout the building. To appeal to the widest audience and create a welcoming environment for everyone, even the non-sports fans, all of the TVs must be muted.

Some sports bars provide tabletop speakers so separate tables can tune in to a single TV. This solution is okay when your building has the right acoustics and your customers are on the friendlier, more considerate side. Yet, even in these situations, it can become very loud with competing audio on a table-by-table basis.

AudioFetch provides a more accommodating solution. Each individual sports fan selects the game/TV they want to hear and listens through their own smartphone and headphones. So even if a single table is divided on which game/TV to watch, they have options to make the experience their own or flip around to different channels as desired.

Note: AudioFetch can also be used with tabletop speakers if that’s the preferred method for the business. Simply connect a single phone to the speaker via Bluetooth, use an attachable sound amplifier, or even place the phone in a glass or bowl to increase the volume for the entire table. 

Two innovative sports bars get in on the audio streaming action 

Canadian Brewhouse - AudioFetch Audio Over WiFi
Image Source: The Canadian Brewhouse Facebook Page

The Canadian Brewhouse is piloting the installation of AudioFetch at their Edmonton location to allow customers to hear the various games and live broadcasts. The Canadian Brewhouse has 40 locations across Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Saskatchewan, opening four new locations in 2021. 

As the Consumer Choice for Best Sports Bar and Best Pub the last five consecutive years, The Canadian Brewhouse prides itself on creating an exciting customer experience, and we know that AudioFetch will be another element that contributes to their high-quality environment and stellar customer satisfaction. We look forward to working with The CBH to bring game day entertainment to all of their locations and customers. 

Glory Days Grill - AudioFetch Audio Over WiFi
Image Source: Glory Days Grill Website

Glory Days Grill, a sports-themed family-friendly American grill and bar, is also launching AudioFetch at a single location, with plans to roll out to more locations in the future. Glory Days Grill also has 40 locations spread throughout Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.

Since their first opening in 1996, Glory Days’ goal was to be a neighborhood gathering place that brought friends and family together for award-winning food and entertainment that appeals to all ages. With hundreds of local and national “Best” awards and recognitions and the drive to bring new features and services like AudioFetch to their customers, it’s clear to see they’ve not only achieved this goal but plan to exceed it tenfold! 

AudioFetch is becoming an integral part of sports bars’ COVID recovery plan. If you’d like to learn more about the wireless audio streaming solution and how it can benefit your hospitality business, connect with us today. Give us a call at 1-844-443-3824, drop us a line, or schedule an appointment.

Upgrade to AudioFetch

Why Customers are Upgrading to AudioFetch from Tunity

By | Business, Fitness Centers, Restaurants, Sports Bars, Wireless Audio | No Comments

Is Tunity hitting a sour note with your customers? 

We often hear from sports bars, gyms, universities, casinos and other businesses that are encouraging their customers to use Tunity’s app to hear muted TVs, but are dissatisfied with the option. As social distancing mandates continue and accessibility becomes a higher priority, we’re working with more and more businesses that need to upgrade their audio over WiFi streaming offering to AudioFetch.

Below are some of the reasons customers turn to AudioFetch when looking for a Tunity app alternative:

Works with Streaming Services

AudioFetch allows listeners to hear any program that’s playing on any TV. That could be a program streaming on Netflix, Hulu, Apple+, Amazon Prime Video, HBOMax, or any other streaming service. Tunity only allows listeners to hear audio from media broadcasts on major national networks only. Most local news and local programming don’t work either.

Works with DVDs and Blue-Rays

When we mentioned any program playing on any TV, that also includes DVDs, Blue-Ray discs, and downloaded digital copies of movies. Heck, it even includes VHS tapes and laserdiscs, if you’ve still got the working players laying around! 

No Annoying Commercials

One of the biggest complaints we hear is that the audio ads are incessant, and the only way to get around them is to pay for a premium service. According to one recent review

“I timed it on Saturday during the gator game and it cut off the game sound every 10 mins to watch some stupid irrelevant commercial. Why every 10 minutes? And why not make it during a tv timeout commercial. I was literally cut off 19 times during the game to the annoying ‘bring the app upfront to watch a commercial.’ Way too many commercials for sporting events.”

This is a complaint from a listener, but business owners also lament this feature because they’re essentially letting other businesses advertise directly to their customers! Without getting a dime in return! And what happens if the ad is for a competing business? Now that’s a conflict of interest if I’ve ever heard one!

AudioFetch does not include a single ad in the audio stream, and listeners will never have to pay a cent to use the app. The only “ads” that are allowed in the AudioFetch app are placed there by the business owner, and our customers typically use this space to advertise their own specials and events. 

Low Latency and Near Perfect Auto Syncing

Perhaps tied for the biggest complaint is the audio delay/syncing issue. Customers complain that the audio often gets out of alignment with the TV programming. The company has provided a solution for this with “Fine Tune Audio Sync” buttons within the app, which allow customers to fast forward or rewind to sync the audio themselves. Yet, the frequent ads cause the audio to get out of whack, which means customers are forced to fine-tune every ten minutes or so. Not fun when you’re trying to enjoy a game at the bar, and not safe if you’re running on a treadmill at the gym!

AudioFetch has a distributed processing platform that scales with the number of channels to ensure the lowest latency possible. The techniques employed in the development of the mobile AudioFetch App also ensure minimal latency. 

Doesn’t Drain Battery Life

The Tunity app uses GPS on your device to scan for channels in the area and local time. This frequent GPS usage can result in rapid battery drain if channels are scanned too often. Another battery-draining feature is the aforementioned commercials. Some listeners have complained that their phones die before the end of games because of this drain.

AudioFetch works by connecting to the local WiFi network once, and then you manually select which TV/channel to listen to. No battery-sucking features required. 

Attentive, Expert Support

We stand behind the AudioFetch products and service and are happy to help you through any technical or logistical challenges you may encounter. AudioFetch won’t connect to WiFi? We help with that! Less tech-savvy customers can’t figure out how to download the app? We got you covered. No issue is too big or too small. 

Should you encounter any issues and need support, you will engage with a person well-versed in all aspects of AudioFetch by calling us at 1-844-443-3824, scheduling an appointment or contacting us. You can also visit our Frequently Asked Questions section to find out more about common questions about our products and services. 

In the immortal words of Mr. Kurt Vonnegut: “In this world, you get what you pay for.” (He used it in a slightly different context, but knowing his futuristic and sci-fi slant, we think he’d approve of the connection to next-gen tech that would have been mind-blowing in his heyday!). And when you don’t pay a cent for something, you can typically expect that same low-price-point level of service.

AF Tunity Upgrade Twitter Post - AudioFetch Audio Over WiFi

Ready to upgrade to AudioFetch today? We’re offering businesses 20% off their order when they switch from Tunity. So don’t wait another minute to provide a better experience for your customers–order your AudioFetch today by calling 844-HI-FETCH or dropping us a line here.

Are you a listener that can no longer use Tunity at your local sports bar, fitness center or another facility? Let us know the name of the facility and we’ll work with them to bring AudioFetch to you!