TL;DR:
- Finding a reliable sports bar in Amsterdam to watch Premier League matches requires verifying broadcast rights and confirming fixture schedules in advance.
- Top venues like Bigshotsamsterdam, Belushi's, and O'Reilly's Irish Pub offer lively atmospheres, quality food, and dependable coverage for major fixtures.
You're in Amsterdam, match day is hours away, and you need to find a great bar to watch Premier League football with good food, cold drinks, and a crowd that actually cares about the game. Sounds straightforward, but finding a venue that reliably shows your specific fixture takes more than a quick Google search. Broadcast rights in the Netherlands are split between multiple platforms, which means not every "sports bar" will have the match you came for. This guide covers the best venues to watch Premier League Amsterdam style, explains the broadcast rights situation, and gives you everything you need to make match day count.
Table of Contents
- Key takeaways
- What you need before you watch Premier League Amsterdam
- Best bars to watch Premier League in Amsterdam
- How to make the most of your match night out
- What to do when the venue can't show your match
- My take on watching Premier League football in Amsterdam
- Watch your next Premier League match at Bigshotsamsterdam
- FAQ
Key takeaways
| Point | Details |
|---|---|
| Know the rights landscape | Viaplay and Prime Video split Premier League rights in the Netherlands, so not every bar shows every match. |
| Confirm before you go | Always verify your specific fixture is showing at your chosen venue before leaving the hotel. |
| Arrive early | Popular matches fill up fast, especially at central Amsterdam bars near Leidseplein and the Red Light District. |
| Big Shots Amsterdam is a strong pick | It combines big screens, quality food, and a lively crowd in a central Amsterdam location. |
| Mobile streaming is your backup | Viaplay's app works on phones and tablets, giving you a reliable fallback if a venue can't show your match. |
What you need before you watch Premier League Amsterdam
Before you walk into any bar expecting to catch your team, you need to understand how Premier League football gets broadcast in the Netherlands. All Premier League matches in the 2025/26 season are available via a Viaplay subscription, but here's the complication: some matches are exclusive to Prime Video. That fragmentation matters enormously when you're trying to confirm what a specific bar will actually show.
The Viaplay app on devices works on phones, tablets, and PCs, and it's also available through set-top boxes on channels 13 and higher for subscribers. If you're a tourist, getting a personal subscription just for one match day might not make financial sense. That's exactly why finding a venue with the right package matters so much.
Here's what to check before heading out:
- Verify the broadcaster. Look up which platform holds your specific match. Viaplay covers most games, but Prime Video exclusives are a real factor.
- Contact the venue directly. Call or message the bar to confirm they're showing your fixture. Social media pages often post weekly match schedules.
- Check fixture timing. Amsterdam bars typically open early for weekend morning kickoffs, but weekday evening games may have a shorter window.
- Plan for crowds. Big matches involving Liverpool, Manchester City, or Arsenal draw serious turnout. Showing up 45 minutes early for those is not excessive.
Confirming broadcast details via official broadcaster listings before you visit a venue is the single most reliable way to avoid match day frustration. A quick message to the bar takes two minutes and saves a wasted trip.
Pro Tip: Search the bar's Instagram story or Facebook page on match morning. Most Amsterdam sports bars post their match schedule there by 9 a.m., and you'll get real-time confirmation without needing to call.
Best bars to watch Premier League in Amsterdam
Amsterdam has a strong sports bar culture, and a handful of venues have built solid reputations specifically around live football. Here's a breakdown of the top options.
Bigshotsamsterdam sits right in the heart of the city and functions as a sports bar with serious food. It combines a proper bar setup with a shisha lounge, restaurant, and café, which means you can spend an entire evening there without the experience feeling like just staring at a screen. The screens are large, the atmosphere heats up quickly on big match days, and the kitchen puts out real food, including steaks, gourmet dishes, and a full breakfast menu for those early kickoffs.
Belushi's near Leidseplein is a well-known expat and tourist favorite. It runs sports broadcasts consistently, has a high-energy crowd, and the food menu leans toward classic bar fare. Central Amsterdam bars like Belushi's benefit from being easy to reach by tram, which matters when you're navigating the city for the first time.
O'Reilly's Irish Pub has built a long-standing reputation for live sports coverage in Amsterdam. Irish pubs have always been natural homes for Premier League football, and O'Reilly's leans into that with multiple screens and a reliably football-focused crowd on weekends.
Sportsbar Smoking Bull is worth mentioning for fans who want something more gritty and local. Located in the Red Light District, it offers multiple big screens alongside pool tables and a loud, energetic vibe. It's less about dining and more about the pure sports experience.
Coco's Outback rounds out the list with a lively international crowd and a layout that works well for group visits.
| Venue | Location | Atmosphere | Food quality | Match reliability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bigshotsamsterdam | City center | Lively, social, relaxed | High, full menu | Strong |
| Belushi's | Leidseplein | High energy, tourist mix | Good bar food | Consistent |
| O'Reilly's Irish Pub | Multiple locations | Football-focused, local feel | Standard pub food | Reliable |
| Sportsbar Smoking Bull | Red Light District | Loud, gritty, social | Minimal | Good for big matches |
| Coco's Outback | City center | International, fun | Decent | Moderate |
The mix of tourists and locals at Amsterdam sports bars during Premier League fixtures creates a genuinely electric atmosphere, especially for top-of-the-table clashes. You're not just watching the match. You're sharing it with people from a dozen different countries who are all equally invested.
How to make the most of your match night out
Getting to the right bar is only half the work. How you approach the evening determines whether it's a great memory or a frustrating one.
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Arrive 30 to 45 minutes early for marquee fixtures. Big matches involving the top six clubs will pack Amsterdam sports bars fast. If you're a group of four or more, showing up early is the only way to guarantee a proper table with a clear sightline to the main screen.
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Order food before kickoff. Kitchen staff at most bars get slammed once the match starts. Placing your food order before the whistle blows means your meal arrives at halftime at the latest, not during the second half when you're too distracted to enjoy it.
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Choose drinks that last. A pint is the standard, but if you're watching a 90-minute match with extra time potential, pacing yourself with a longer drink means fewer trips to the bar and fewer moments of missed action.
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Engage with the crowd. Watching sports at a bar delivers something a home stream never can: shared reactions. Talking to the fans around you, whether they support your team or not, is part of what makes live match viewing in Amsterdam so good.
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Solo visitors: sit at the bar. If you're watching alone, the bar itself is your best seat. Bartenders are usually football fans, conversation comes naturally, and you won't feel stranded at a table meant for groups.
Pro Tip: If you're visiting Amsterdam specifically for a Champions League night, the same venues apply. Bigshotsamsterdam, Belushi's, and O'Reilly's all pick up major European fixtures. Searching "watch Champions League Amsterdam" plus the venue name will usually confirm coverage via their social pages.
What to do when the venue can't show your match
This happens more than people expect. You arrive, settle in, and realize the bar isn't showing your specific fixture. Here's how to handle it without losing your mind or missing the match.
- Ask the venue staff first. Sometimes the match is on a secondary screen or will be switched over at kickoff. Staff will tell you in 30 seconds.
- Use the Viaplay app as an immediate fallback. If you have a subscription or can access one, Premier League live streaming on your phone works fine with good headphones. Order a drink and watch on your device at the bar. It's not ideal, but it keeps you in the game.
- Have a backup bar in mind. Before you leave your hotel, identify two venues that show your match. If the first doesn't deliver, you walk straight to the second without scrambling.
- Check NBC Sports' fixtures page for accurate match times. Time zone confusion is more common than you'd think, especially for early Saturday kickoffs.
- Don't change venues mid-first half. If you realize the situation at kickoff, stay for the half. Rushing across Amsterdam while the match is live is worse than watching it on your phone.
Matching a sports bar's broadcast rights with your specific Premier League fixture is the single most overlooked step in planning a great match day outing. Don't skip the five-minute confirmation check.
My take on watching Premier League football in Amsterdam
I've watched a lot of football in a lot of cities, and Amsterdam has a quality that's hard to explain until you've experienced it. The bars here draw a genuine mix of passionate fans from across Europe, and that creates an energy level in the room that feels like attending an actual match rather than watching one on TV.
What I've noticed is that most people underestimate how good the food situation has gotten at Amsterdam sports bars. A few years ago, your options were limited to some sad bar snacks and overpriced burgers. That's changed. Venues like Bigshotsamsterdam are putting real effort into their menus, and eating well before or during a match dramatically improves the whole experience. You're not just enduring the wait between goals. You're actually having a great evening.
My honest advice: stop worrying about finding the "perfect" stream and focus on finding a room with the right energy. The broadcast will be fine at any of the venues listed in this article. What makes the difference is the crowd, the food, and whether the bar feels like a place that takes football seriously. Amsterdam has plenty of those, but you have to know where to look. The sports bar checklist I always recommend covers exactly what separates a great venue from a mediocre one.
— Leo
Watch your next Premier League match at Bigshotsamsterdam
If you want one venue that genuinely gets it right on all fronts, Bigshotsamsterdam deserves a serious look. Big Shots Amsterdam combines large screens with a full-service restaurant, a craft cocktail bar, and a shisha lounge in one central location. It's the kind of place where you can arrive for a noon kickoff, eat a proper meal, and stay comfortably through an evening fixture without the experience feeling repetitive or rushed.
The food menu goes well beyond typical bar fare. Steaks, gourmet dishes, and a breakfast menu for those early Premier League Saturday kickoffs make this a real dining destination alongside the sports broadcast. The crowd is a mix of locals and internationals, which means the atmosphere is warm and social without being aggressively loud. Check the schedule and consider booking ahead for big match weekends. Seats near the main screens fill up quickly, and you deserve a good view.
FAQ
Where can I watch Premier League matches in Amsterdam?
Top venues include Bigshotsamsterdam, Belushi's, O'Reilly's Irish Pub, and Sportsbar Smoking Bull. All regularly broadcast Premier League football with food and drinks available.
How do I confirm a specific match is showing at my chosen bar?
Check the bar's social media on match morning or contact them directly. Viaplay and Prime Video split rights in the Netherlands, so confirming in advance prevents disappointment.
Can I stream Premier League football online in Amsterdam?
Yes. All 380 matches in the 2025/26 season are available via Viaplay, with some fixtures exclusive to Prime Video. The Viaplay app works on phones, tablets, and PCs.
What is the best area in Amsterdam to find sports bars?
Leidseplein and the Red Light District are the two strongest areas. Central Amsterdam venues are easy to reach by tram and tend to have the most consistent football coverage.
Does Bigshotsamsterdam show Champions League matches?
Yes. Bigshotsamsterdam broadcasts major European fixtures including Champions League games alongside Premier League coverage, making it a reliable choice for any big football night in Amsterdam.