How to Trade Around Streaming Releases and TV Events

Sporting events, film and TV releases, award shows, election nights, music festivals and beyond: these events regularly get many millions of viewers, meaning people in your area stock up, order in, sometimes decorate, and buy merch in preparation for the big show.

Some business owners get frustrated at this: hospitality businesses want people out and about, and retailers see people fixed on an event that might feel totally irrelevant to what they offer, expecting lower foot traffic and sales. But they don't need to be discouraged. With the right mindset and a smart plan, trading around big streaming releases and TV events can ensure you make the most of each day of business, regardless of what's happening on Netflix!

Today, we'll cover:

• What big TV moments mean to businesses
• How to know which events will matter to your business
• Taking advantage of streaming releases in retail
• Taking advantage of streaming releases in hospitality
• How to fine-tune your streaming event planning into a system you can rely on

Once we're done here, you'll know when to tweak your business around big TV moments, and when to let the ship sail, as well as knowing how to make the most of every opportunity these events offer. So let's get straight into it!

What big TV moments mean to businesses

When the nation gathers around the screen, it rarely does so empty-handed. NRF's 2026 Super Bowl survey found a record 213.1 million U.S. adults planned to tune in, with spending on food, drinks, apparel, decorations and more expected to hit a record $20.2 billion, or $94.77 per person. Much of that money is spent in the run-up: Placer.ai found supermarket foot traffic rose an average of 10% in the two days before the game. With 121.1 million people planning to throw or attend a party, spending reaches far beyond the stadium, rewarding businesses that stock the right products.

The flip side is that attention (and wallets) go somewhere specific, and not every business is positioned to take advantage. Compared with all those party-goers, only 18.2 million planned to watch at a bar or restaurant, so most of the day's spending happens at home. Retail can suffer, too. When Las Vegas hosted the 2024 game, RetailNext found in-store traffic on Super Bowl Sunday fell 19.9% year over year, suggesting big events can replace store visits rather than add to them. And shoppers who do spend are watching costs: with food prices rising, eMarketer expects value to stay top of mind, making promotions and bundles more important than ever.

How to know which events will matter to your business

Not every big TV moment will affect your sales. After all, new releases are constantly coming out on streaming platforms. Some that sound like a big deal may not matter much, while others that seem irrelevant might hit harder than you'd expect. Before you plan anything, it's worth working out what would happen if you simply carried on as normal.

Look back at your own sales data

Your best predictor is your own history. Pull up your POS reports from similar event nights. Thinking about the Dancing with the Stars finale? See what happened last year. The same is true for the Oscars or a big Netflix season drop; compare them with an ordinary day the week before. Look beyond total sales at transaction times, average spend, and which products moved. A quiet 8pm followed by a late rush tells a very different story than a flat evening, and those two nights have very different staffing requirements. If you don't have much history to go on, start now: note upcoming events in your calendar so you have something to compare against next time.

Get to know who your customers are

A Love Island USA finale means little to a hardware store with a mostly retired clientele, but it could empty a cocktail bar of its regular 20-somethings. Think about the age, interests and habits of your core customers. Not sure how they feel? Start a few conversations and figure out whether they're likely to be glued to the couch, heading out to watch with friends, or completely unaware the event is happening. And don't forget the people who aren't watching. A night when half the country is indoors can be a golden opportunity to win over those desperate for something else to do.

Consider how the event is watched

Timing and format matter. A live Sunday-night finale pulls everyone in at once, while a full series dropped on a streaming platform tends to spread viewing (and any dips in sales) across several days, cushioning and potentially hiding any positive or negative impact on business. Time zones matter too: a live broadcast at 8pm Eastern lands at 5pm on the West Coast, right in the middle of happy hour. Daytime events can affect lunch business and shopping hours; evening ones hit dinner service and late opening. If your best hours clash with the event, your business will be more vulnerable to its effects.

Other useful avenues include:

• TV schedules and streaming platforms' "coming soon" pages
• Checking Google Trends to see how much buzz a show is generating
• Social media chatter and local community groups
• Your reservation system, for unusual gaps or spikes in bookings (if you're in hospitality)

Taking advantage of streaming releases in retail

Big TV moments don't have to mean empty aisles for your business. With a little forward planning, retailers can turn a night in into a reason to shop that day.

Tweak your product lines

Think about what viewers want on the couch beside them. Convenience and liquor stores can stock up on snacks, party-size bags of chips and drinks ahead of a big finale, but even if your business specializes in something else, stocking impulse snacks at your checkout can bring you an extra sale. Specialist retailers can ride a show's influence on the shelves, too: bookstores can bring forward the novel a new drama is based on, kitchenware stores can push baking kits during The Great British Baking Show season, and fashion boutiques can lean into styles from a buzzy period drama. Keep orders sensible, though, as hype can fade quickly once the credits roll, leaving you with stock you'll find hard to move.

Make the most of displays and promotions

Give fans a reason to stop. A themed window, a "watch party essentials" table or a bundle deal (think drinks, snacks and a dessert to share for one price) makes it easy for customers to grab everything in one go. Time promotions for the days leading up to the event, when people are planning, rather than the night itself.

Shout about it

No matter how far removed a show is from your store, you can always use social media to join the conversation around it. Light-hearted posts, countdowns, or a poll on who'll win can keep your brand top of mind even if you can't capitalize directly; just make sure you avoid spoilers! If you're selling merch, running an in-store event, or just have a store full of snacks, marketing that taps into the hype around the show or event can often transfer some of that energy to your business. Just be careful with trademarked names: the NFL protects "Super Bowl" closely, which is why so many businesses advertise "Big Game" deals instead.

Rethink your business hours

If your data shows sales drop off as a show airs, consider closing a little earlier or shifting hours to catch the pre-show rush. On the other hand, if you're one of the few stores open late, staying open could make you the go-to for last-minute supplies or mid-show stock-ups. And if the data backs it up and the event is big enough, like the Super Bowl, election night, or a once-in-a-lifetime event, don't be afraid to adjust your business hours. However, be sure the scale of the event matches the scale of your response. Changing your hours for an event some of your customers don't even know about could make your business seem unreliable.

Staff to match demand

Extra hands pre- and post-show can keep your checkouts ready for any rushes, but having extra staff in while the event is on can mean underused hours. However, you can use quieter spells for restocking, cleaning or training, so lower foot traffic still means productive time if you plan for it. Alternatively, you could leave a gap between shift changes, with some staff leaving when the event starts and their replacements starting at the end of the show.

Taking advantage of streaming releases in hospitality

For bars, restaurants and cafes, big TV moments can feel like competition. But with the right approach, you can give people a reason to watch with you rather than from the couch.

Host a watch party

Shared viewing is half the fun, so make your venue the best possible place to do it! Make sure everyone can see and hear clearly, set aside a dedicated area (if your venue is spacious enough, the event doesn't have to dominate the whole space), and consider taking reservations or selling tickets so you can gauge numbers in advance. Little extras like show bingo, prediction cards, or a prize for best outfit (the Oscars are perfect for a red-carpet dress code) turn a screening into an event. Before you plan anything, check your licensing: most streaming subscriptions are for personal use only, and showing cable or satellite TV in a commercial venue typically requires a commercial account. But with the right licenses, many shows can be aired publicly.

Create a themed menu

A few show-inspired specials go a long way. Think a signature cocktail named after a contestant, a shareable platter for finale night, or a Baking Show-style showstopper on the dessert menu. Shareable dishes and set-price bundles work especially well, as they're easy to serve during the busiest moments and encourage groups to order more.

Promote it early

Start talking about your event a couple of weeks out on social media, in-venue posters and your mailing list. Fans plan their big nights in advance, so let them know early that they can watch the event at your venue, giving them time to make plans around you, book a table and round up friends and family.

Adjust your hours

If you're hosting, you might open earlier for pre-show food and drinks or stay open later for post-finale chat. If you're not, look at your data. A quieter evening might mean trimming hours, or leaning into takeout and delivery deals for viewers staying in. Either way, the biggest events are exceptional enough that if your regulars will be doing things differently, it's okay for you to mix things up, too!

Staff for the rhythm of the night

Event nights rarely run at a steady pace. Expect a rush before the show starts, during commercial breaks and after it ends, with lulls in between. Schedule extra staff for those peaks and encourage table orders ahead of key moments to keep service smooth. Whatever you do, choose carefully when to check on people watching the event so you don't interrupt the experience.

How to fine-tune your streaming event planning into a system you can rely on

• Assess your POS data after each event. Compare sales, transaction times and best-selling products with a normal day and similar events to see exactly what worked, what didn't, and where money was left on the table.
• Figure out which events matter to your business. Over time, you'll spot which shows bring customers in, which keep them at home, and which make no difference at all, so you can focus your efforts accordingly.
• Build an events calendar. Note upcoming finales, premieres and streaming drops alongside what you did last time, so planning starts weeks ahead rather than the day before.
• Gather customer feedback. Ask regulars what they enjoyed, run a quick social poll or check online reviews. Customers will often tell you exactly what would bring them back, which can make everything much simpler!
• Debrief with your team. Staff learn things you might not. For example, your team on the ground will be the first to notice bottlenecks at the bar or products customers asked for but couldn't find.
• Refine and repeat. Keep what worked, drop what didn't, and try one new idea each time. Small tweaks soon add up to a reliable playbook!

TV events: customer thieves that can become true blessings

Big TV moments and streaming releases change how and where people spend, but with the right plan they don't have to cost you. Use your sales data and knowledge of your customers to spot which events matter, then adjust your stock, menus, business hours, staffing and marketing to match. Review each event afterward, and you'll soon have a system you can rely on.

An Epos Now POS system makes that easier. Real-time reporting on staff, customers, sales, margin and stock, accessible from any device, shows exactly how each event affects your retail or hospitality business, while integrations for reservations, delivery, loyalty and email marketing help you act on what you learn.