Fort Worth

Fort Worth Businesses Hope to Cash In on Football Championship

Fans expected to pack downtown for broadcasts

With the inaugural College Football Playoff National Championship game set for Arlington on Monday night, football fans are flocking to downtown Fort Worth as well.

ESPN, which will broadcast the championship game, has been broadcasting all week from Sundance Square in the heart of Cowtown.

The broadcasts typically bring hundreds of football fans, and local businesses are hoping that will translate into a big weekend for sales.

Lindsey Ross' Schakolad Chocolate Factory is right across the street from where crowds will gather. Ross said it's been a slow start to the week but hopes that the fans won't just show up to scream for the cameras.

"Anything that they have going on downtown will bring more people downtown shopping, going to see the shows, things like that. This is awesome to have down here," she said.

Of course, it's not the first time the national broadcaster has called Sundance Square home. Four years ago for Super Bowl XLV week the Fort Worth Convention and Visitors Bureau estimated the broadcasts helped bring $2 million to the local economy, with all the Super Bowl events accounting for $15 million.

The CVB won't know what the college football championship will bring for another few months, but it has already been told of a spike in hotel rooms being sold.

With packed hotels, bars and restaurants like The Brass Tap hope those occupants will pass through their doors as well.

"Especially when it's the inaugural national championship game here," said Jay Thompson, of The Brass Tap. "Downtown Fort Worth is the premiere place to stay, plus easy access to Arlington. Hope it's going to be good for business."

Business they expect will pick up as we get closer to kickoff.

"We really like it when people come to town. I'm hoping this weekend will be no different and be as good as past sports events," Thompson said. "Either one, Ohio State, Oregon, we'll welcome everybody."

One notable difference between now and four years ago, neither of the teams' hotels are in Fort Worth. It's also unclear if the cold weather, return to work and school or that this is the second game for both universities in the last 10 days, as to why the week has been a bit slow so far.

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