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Where to watch the Super Bowl in Europe

by jul on January 28th, 2008

Super Bowl XLII is coming up - on February 3rd, 2008, to be exact. You don’t hear much about this American game over here in Europe, but all is not lost if you’re a fan who finds yourself on this side of the pond for the big day (assuming you’re willing to stay up late).

The game is actually broadcast live on free TV in many European countries, minus most of the pre-game shows, and, sadly, without all those fancy commercials. Broadcasts start at around midnight CET; check the local listings for the country you’re in to find out whether it will be on. Here in Germany the Super Bowl will be shown on the channel ARD, and in Austria it’s on ORF 1.

If watching the big game alone in your hotel room in the middle of the night doesn’t sound like your kind of Super Bowl party, you still might be in luck. You can find a bar or restaurant open and showing the game in many major European cities, as long as you know where to look. For some reason there are sometimes issues with using the words “Super Bowl” in advertising, so look out for/search for alternate terms such as “NFL” and “American football” as well. Here are a couple more tips for sniffing out the place to watch the big game:

• Check English-language message boards for expats in the particular city. There are Americans living in all major European cities - if you can track down these ‘locals’, chances are someone can tell you where to see the game. Examples include Toytown Germany and Expats in Italy .
• Ask a concierge. Large hotels with many American guests are likely to have heard this question before, and are likely to help you find an answer even if you’re not staying there.
• Find the closest Marriott Hotel or Hard Rock Cafe. They broadcast the game in many cities, but be warned - the Hard Rock Cafe often adds a pretty steep cover charge for the event.

Some establishments that will be showing the Super Bowl live in Europe this Sunday night:

• Amsterdam, Netherlands: Satellite Sports Cafe
• Paris, France: The Moose Paris
• Geneva, Switzerland: Mr. Pickwick
• Zurich, Switzerland: the Marriott Hotel lobby bar
• London, UK: Hard Rock Cafe (a steep 15 pounds gets you in); The Sports Café
• Frankfurt, Germany: Yours Australian Bar
• Munich, Germany: Champions Bar at the Marriott Hotel ; Hard Rock Cafe (19 euro cover gets you a welcome drink, buffet, and coffee)
• Barcelona, Spain: Hard Rock Cafe (14 euro cover)
• Lisbon, Portugal: Hard Rock Cafe

Do you know of any other locations in Europe that will be broadcasting the Super Bowl live in 2008? Let me know and I’ll add it to the list!

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