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Who axe throwing bar TV is built for
An axe throwing bar TV setup has two jobs that pull against each other. It has to give waiting groups, lounge crowds and bar regulars a reason to stay through the second half. It also has to stay out of the way of every person holding an axe or a dart. Get the balance right and screens fill the gaps between rounds. Get it wrong and you have distracted throwers, cluttered lanes and staff fielding complaints.
This service fits:
- Axe throwing venues with a bar or lounge, where groups book a lane for an hour and often stay longer
- Dart bars, steel-tip or soft-tip, where league nights and walk-in play share the room with a game crowd
- Competitive social venues that mix axes, darts, shuffleboard and other games under one roof
- Venues built around leagues, birthdays and corporate team events, where different groups want different things on screen at the same time
If your floor plan also includes lanes or tables, the thinking overlaps with our bowling alley TV service and pool hall TV service. The difference with axes and darts is that people throw things, so placement carries more weight.
What a good setup looks like, zone by zone
Picture a Saturday night. Four lanes are booked by a bachelor party, two coworker groups and a league practice. The bar is full of people waiting for their slot, and a big game tips off at eight. Each of those groups wants something different from the screens, and a good setup gives each one its own answer.
| Zone | Who is watching | What works |
|---|---|---|
| Throwing lanes | Throwers and coaches | Few or no screens inside the lane; if any, mounted high behind the throw line and captioned |
| Lane lounge and spectator seating | Groups between throws | Screens facing the seats, showing the main game or a booked party's pick |
| Bar | Regulars and waiting guests | The headline game, with sound priority when it matters |
| Dart area | Players waiting their turn | Screens offset from the boards, facing the seating rather than the oche |
| Check-in and waiting | Arrivals | Your safety briefing, promotions or calm general programming |
Sound deserves its own plan. Axe lanes are loud, and music is usually part of the atmosphere. Most venues do best with captions on nearly every screen and game audio routed to one zone, usually the bar, when a big moment calls for it. Our notes on closed captions in restaurants and bars cover how to keep that comfortable.
Placement rules that keep throwers focused
These are the principles we design around. Your lane builder and your own safety policies come first; screens fit around them, never the other way.
- Nothing on or near the target wall. A screen beside a target pulls the eye at the moment of release. Keep the target wall for targets.
- Keep the throwing path and rebound area clear. No brackets, cable runs or mounts inside the lane or where a bounce-out could travel.
- Face screens toward people who are not throwing. The best spots are usually the back wall behind the throw line, angled at the lounge seating, or walls that waiting groups face.
- Protect the coach's view. Whoever runs the lane needs a clear line to every thrower. Screens and mounts should not sit between them.
- For darts, offset rather than overhead. A screen directly above or beside a board competes with the target. Place screens on side walls or behind the players, where people waiting their turn can see them.
- Mind electronic boards. Soft-tip boards show their own scores. Keep large screens out of the same field of view so players are not reading two displays at once.
For the seated and standing areas, the same sightline logic we use in bars applies: work out from each seat, not from the walls that are easiest to mount on. Our bar TV placement layout walks through that in more detail.
How we work with you
Sports Direct | DLM Media is an authorized commercial dealer of commercial TV programming for business, with 30+ years of experience and technicians and engineers in all 50 states. The process is consultative and you have one point of contact from the first call through ongoing support.
- Assess the space. We review your floor plan, lane and board layout, mounting surfaces, wiring paths and internet setup. We also ask how the room actually runs: where groups wait, where parties gather, when leagues play.
- Design by viewing type. Each zone gets a job. We decide which screens carry the headline game, which can be handed to a private party, which run captions only and where sound goes. You get a setup that matches how people move through the room.
- Install. Professional installation is scheduled around your hours so lanes stay open. Equipment goes where the design says, with cables and brackets kept out of throwing areas.
- Support. After launch, we help you adjust as leagues, seasons and your calendar change. A simple bar TV channel map keeps staff from guessing on busy nights.
You can see the full scope of programming, equipment, installation and support on our services page.
What to think about before you decide
A commercial account, not a consumer one. Consumer subscriptions are set up for private viewing, not a public venue full of customers. A commercial account is how a business shows programming to guests. Exact requirements depend on your venue, so confirm the details with a programming specialist.
Who controls each screen. If you sell private lane packages, decide whether parties can choose what plays on their lounge screen. That shapes how many receivers you need and how control is set up, so it belongs in the design, not as an afterthought.
Your own content. Many venues want a screen at check-in for a safety briefing, league standings or event promotions. Plan for it early. Our view on showing specials on bar TVs applies here: a few dedicated screens outside the main sightlines work better than interrupting the game.
The slow months. Throwing traffic and the sports calendar do not always line up. Programming by daypart keeps screens useful on a quiet Tuesday as well as a packed Saturday; see keeping bar TVs useful in the off season.
More than one location. If you run or plan to open several venues, a consistent layout and one account relationship make rollout and staff training simpler.
When you are ready to talk through your floor plan, reach out to our team or call New Sales at 888-688-1699.