Best Bars with Big Screens in New York

Professor Thom's has been the go-to New England sports bar in New York for over 20 years, but it is the screen setup that makes it worth knowing about for any game. 24 screens of varying sizes cover every angle of the room, and the two 100-inch projection screens at the main wall provide the kind of scale that transforms a regular match night into an event. The beer list is excellent for the format, with 18 drafts and honest pricing. Expect a full house for Patriots and Red Sox games.

Nevada Smiths is New York's best-known soccer bar and runs early-morning Premier League sessions that draw a crowd that would otherwise be watching at home. The 16 screens cover every angle and the two main projection screens provide cinema-quality viewing for the big games. The food menu is better than the format usually demands, and the beer selection covers both American craft and European imports with real attention. The atmosphere during a Liverpool or Chelsea game is unmatched in New York.

The Ainsworth occupies the upscale sports bar category that New York does well: a venue where the production quality is high enough that you would not feel out of place bringing a client, while still being set up primarily for watching live sport. The screen installation here is genuinely impressive: 40 screens including an 18-foot LED wall behind the main bar. The cocktail menu is substantial and well-executed, and the food programme runs until midnight on weekdays.

Stout is a reliable choice for any game because the operational setup has been optimised for high-volume sports nights over many years. The kitchen runs fast, the bar staff are experienced with large game-night crowds, and the 28 screens cover the room without any bad sightlines. The 100 beer options split between drafts, cans, and bottles make it the deepest beer menu in this category in Manhattan. Best for NFL Sundays when you want multiple games shown simultaneously.

Mulholland's is the kind of neighbourhood sports bar that Manhattan struggles to sustain: a local crowd who know each other, reasonable prices, and a screen setup that serves the game well without trying to be a spectacle. The 14 screens are distributed well around the two rooms, and the main 120-inch projection screen in the back room is reserved for the featured game of the night. The beer list leans heavily on Brooklyn and New Jersey breweries, which suits the clientele.

Berry Park has a rooftop that opens for summer game nights and an indoor screening room that operates year-round. The rooftop screen is the draw in warmer months: a purpose-built outdoor projection setup that creates one of the most enjoyable sports watching experiences in the city when the weather cooperates. The drinks list covers the standard sports bar categories but with more craft care than most equivalents. The indoor screening room holds 80 people with no bad sightlines.

The Quays is an Irish sports bar in Astoria that takes international sports seriously: Premier League, Champions League, Bundesliga, and rugby are shown alongside all US sports. The 18-screen setup was installed professionally and the sound design is unusually good for this category. The Guinness is poured correctly and the Irish whiskey shelf is worth spending time on. If you are trying to watch a game that most Manhattan bars will not show, The Quays is often the answer.

Legends sits near Citi Field and captures the pre- and post-game Mets crowd, but operates as a proper sports bar on non-game days too. The 22 screens cover every major sport, and the venue's commitment to showing international football has earned it a mixed crowd that reflects Queens' diverse population. The food menu is more serious than the name suggests, with a full kitchen running until midnight. The prices are honest and the service during busy game nights is well-organised.

Suspenders targets the Financial District lunch and after-work crowd who want sports with their drinks and are willing to pay for comfort. The screen installation is among the most technically impressive in New York: a purpose-built setup with 30 commercial-grade screens and a primary 200-inch display that dominates the main room. The cocktail menu is better than the sports bar category usually produces, and the food programme runs until midnight. Good for weeknight games when the FiDi crowd fills it to the right energy level.