How To Start A Football Viewing Center In Nigeria (2024)
If there is anything that brings youths at large together in the world, it is football. It is on these platform that people show their passion for football and their love for their various clubs like; Chelsea, Arsenal, Real Madrid, Manchester united etc.
Most people gamble for it, some leave their houses and streets to football viewing centers just to watch football matches and meet their fellow passionate fans. But as much as we like football, most people still cannot afford to buy a DSTV or subscribe to a cable network TV! to view these soccer matches.
But the good news here is that one can capitalize on this trend and think on how to start a football viewing center in Nigeria. It takes one with a business mind and little capital to start a football viewing center as regards the profits one can make from it. In Nigeria, we have network cable companies such as DSTV, Strong, GoTV, StarTimes, DaarSat, that one could purchase in order to view these games.
Starting up a football viewing center that has a sitting capacity of 300 and for each football match, your customers pay between N50 – N100 per match (depending on the location). Multiply that 300 by 50 0r 100; and you will have a whopping N15,000 – N30,000 per match! Now that’s what I call business.
Now, do you wish to start up a football viewing center? It is noteworthy to note that with putting the right capital together, one can established a football viewing business that could generate a monthly profit of at least N300, 000? THIS IS A GOOD BUSINESS CHOICE IF YOU ASK ME.
Key Components One Need to Start a Football Viewing Center In Nigeria
- Most people uses wooden bench but I think Plastic chairs are better .
- Carpet
- Standing fans, ceiling fans or air conditioner to make your customer comfortable
- Air freshener
- A good generator and possibly a UPS in case of power outage to keep the TV running
- Cable TV or DSTV dish with monthly subscription
- Two big Television set with high resolution or projectors
- Extension sockets for customer to enjoy the freedom of charging their phones.
- A refrigerator just in case you want to add an extra income stream by selling cold soft drinks
- A printed ticket or coupons to identifying paying customers
Step 1: Get an Ideal Location base
Get a good location; the location to use to start a viewing center must be spacious and most be situated at where there are a good number of football lovers (both boys and girls). If it’s an open space like a football field, then you may need to get a carpenter to form a tent shed using zinc; and ensure that the structure is wide enough to contain a good number of people (say 100 to 250 sitting capacity).
Step 2: Set up the venue
One can still start up a football viewing center with a low income, the best thing to do is to get a carpenter to make wood benches for you in order to reduce expenses for start up costs which would contain a lot more people.
You must also ensure that the room or building is properly ventilated; so as to make your customers feel comfortable. If they don’t feel comfortable watching football matches in your viewing center, then there’s a high chance they will patronize your competitors.
Step 3: Use a good Cable Network
This is one mistake most veiwing centre owners make. I often advise that one use DSTV, since they are the best cable tv network in the country. People watching the UEFA champions league or El Classico don’t like it when they come to your centre and you aren’t showing the latest matches especially when you don’t have DSTV.
Step 4: Have An Alternative Source of Power
This is very vital if you must succed in your veiwing centre business. Since NEPA can’t be trusted, a stand-by generator that can power your television sets, fans and cable satellite is essential. It is also important you invest in a good UPS since it helps sustain power until you switch to an alternative source.
Step 5: Sell Refreshment (Optional)
Although, this is optional, it is still important that you sell some snacks that would be eaten by your viewers. This can be an additional source of income for you. Those who watch matches at viewing centres would want things like water, drinks, biscuits, recharge cards, etc, during half time of the game. Having these things at the venue is good and would help you retain your customer fan base.
 Tips On How To Manage and Run a Viewing Center
- Get a blackboard or notice board outside your football center to write out all upcoming matches for the day.
- In ideal cases, one can opt to sell drinks and meat; both alcoholic and soft drinks to make extra cash. (this trend is hardly practiced but its a very good idea to attract and earn customer’s loyalty)
- Customers are to be treated with must respect. Customers are the soul of every business! Be friendly and nice to your customers. They are the only reason you are still in business. Treat them with respect, and try to build mutual relationships and understanding with them.
In a nutshell, if you are currently unemployed, you can try to start up a football viewing center in Nigeria basically as it where soccer lovers live. It can only take you little or less capital to start and it’s very easy to manage, if you really have the right business sense to run a football viewing center.
