In short
The best places to watch live sport in Exeter are The Stand Off on Longbrook Street (the city's dedicated sports bar), Ludo Sports Bar with its rooftop screens at Guildhall, and Allstars on Sidwell Street for scale. For a proper pub atmosphere, City Gate and The Mount Radford are the picks.
Why Watching Sport Together Still Matters
There is something about watching live sport in a room full of strangers that turns them into something closer to friends. The collective groan when a shot goes wide. The eruption when a last-minute try is scored. The shared, held-breath tension of a penalty shootout. You do not need to know someone's name to feel genuinely connected to them in that moment — and that kind of shared experience is harder to come by than it used to be.
In a city like Exeter, where rugby runs through the bloodstream and football loyalty runs deep, the places you watch sport matter. The right venue can turn a Tuesday night Champions League match into an event, or make a Six Nations Saturday feel like a festival. The wrong one — dodgy screen, no atmosphere, warm lager — can make you wish you had stayed at home with a stream and a sofa.
We have tested the screens, endured the queues, and sat through enough half-time analyses in enough Exeter venues to know which ones are worth your time. Whether you are after a purpose-built sports bar with fifty screens or a proper pub with a projector and a pint, here is where to watch live sport in Exeter in 2026.
The Dedicated Sports Bars
The Stand Off, Longbrook Street
Owned by professional rugby players Gareth Steenson and former player Carl Rimmer, The Stand Off is not just a sports bar that happens to be in Exeter — it is a sports bar built by people who genuinely understand what fans want. The venue has 7 large screens throughout plus a giant projector on the stage, which means there is not a bad seat in the house on matchday.
It is particularly well known as one of the best places in Exeter to watch the Exeter Chiefs. The rugby connection runs deep here, and on big match days the atmosphere is electric — passionate fans, a buzzing vibe, and the kind of energy that makes you glad you left the sofa. But it is not rugby-only: they show Premier League football, boxing, cricket, and major international tournaments throughout the year.
Beyond the screens, The Stand Off functions as a proper venue — live music every Saturday and most Fridays, a menu of tasty pub classics and sharing platters, and a fantastic range of beers, ciders, wines, and cocktails. The space can accommodate over 200 people and is flexible enough for everything from a quiet midweek match to a packed Six Nations weekend. If you are organising a group to watch a big game, this is consistently one of the best options in the city.
For big rugby matches, arrive at least 30-45 minutes before kick-off to secure a good spot at The Stand Off. The atmosphere on Exeter Chiefs match days is particularly special — it helps that the owners actually played the sport.
Address: Portland House, Longbrook Street, EX4 6AB. Sports shown: Rugby, football, boxing, cricket, major tournaments. Screens: 7 large screens plus a giant stage projector. Food: Pub classics and sharing platters. Best for: Rugby fans, groups, big match atmosphere.
Ludo Sports Bar and Kitchen, Guildhall
The newest addition to Exeter's sports bar scene, Ludo opened in November 2024 in the Guildhall Shopping Centre and has quickly established itself as one of the city's go-to spots for live sport. The venue can accommodate 400 guests across multiple levels, and the real showpiece is Exeter's best rooftop terrace — stunning panoramic views across the city that make it worth visiting even when there is no match on.
Inside, Ultra HD screens and a state-of-the-art sound system ensure you do not miss a moment of the action. The food and drink offering is a step above your typical sports bar, and the rooftop adds a dimension that nowhere else in Exeter can match. On a warm evening, watching a match up there with a cold drink and the city spread out below you is genuinely one of the best sporting experiences in Devon.
The venue was created by ETM Group in partnership with St Austell Brewery, and the investment shows. It feels polished without being sterile — somewhere you would happily bring a date or a group of friends who are not necessarily die-hard sports fans but want a good night out with a match on in the background.
Address: Guildhall Shopping Centre, EX4 3HP. Sports shown: Football, rugby, F1, boxing, tennis, and more. Screens: Multiple Ultra HD screens plus rooftop viewing. Food: Full kitchen menu. Best for: Date nights, mixed groups, anyone who wants sport with style.
Allstars Sports Bar, Sidwell Street
If sheer screen count is what you are after, Allstars is in a league of its own. This Sidwell Street venue has 3 large projected HD screens, 2 3D TVs, and around 50 wall-mounted LCD screens scattered throughout the space. You could watch four different matches simultaneously without moving your head. It is unapologetically a sports bar — no pretensions, no gastropub aspirations, just screens, sport, and a good time.
Beyond the screens, Allstars doubles as a games hall: 19 English pool tables, 4 American pool tables, 4 snooker tables, 4 darts boards, and foosball. If you are looking for somewhere to spend an entire afternoon or evening with a group, this is the place. The food is good value and the drinks are reasonably priced, which matters when you are settling in for a full day of sport.
Opening hours are generous — from 10am most days, running past midnight on weekdays and until 1:30am on weekends — so it covers everything from early Premier League kick-offs to late-night boxing from Las Vegas.
Address: Unit 1-2, 19-23 Sidwell Street, EX4 6NN. Sports shown: Everything — Sky Sports, BBC Sport, Euro Sport. Screens: 50+ screens including 3 large projections. Food: Good-value pub food. Best for: All-day sport, groups who want pool and darts between matches, sheer volume of screens.
The Dugout, Catherine Street
Housed within Hotel Indigo in the city centre, The Dugout brings a slightly more upmarket feel to the sports bar concept. The centrepiece is a massive ultra-HD screening wall that dominates the room, with the seating arranged so every table has a clear view — no craning your neck or squinting at a distant screen in the corner.
Coverage comes from Sky Sports, TNT Sports, BBC, and ITV, covering football, rugby union and league, golf, boxing, tennis, F1, and NFL. The Hotel Indigo location gives it a polish that some of the more traditional sports bars lack, and it is the kind of place where you could comfortably watch a match and then head out for dinner without needing to change.
Opening hours run from noon to 10pm daily, which means it catches afternoon and evening fixtures but is not the place for late-night fight cards.
Address: 3 Catherine Street, EX1 1EU. Sports shown: Football, rugby, golf, boxing, tennis, F1, NFL. Screens: Large ultra-HD screening wall. Food: Bar menu. Best for: A more refined sports watching experience, post-work matches.
Traditional Pubs With Great Sport Coverage
City Gate, Iron Bridge
The City Gate sits at a prime spot on Iron Bridge in the heart of Exeter, and while it is better known as a boutique hotel and gastropub — the food here is genuinely excellent — its live sport offering deserves attention too. TNT Sports is shown live across big screens both inside and out, covering Premier League football, Premiership rugby, and more.
What makes the City Gate special for sport is the outdoor setup. A large permanent stretch tent in the beer garden, fully covered and heated, means you can watch a match al fresco without worrying about Devon's famously unpredictable weather. On a warm day, it is one of the best spots in Exeter to combine watching sport with actually enjoying being outside. The food is a cut above standard matchday fare — this is a Young's pub that takes its kitchen seriously.
If you are the type who wants to watch the match but also wants to eat well and drink something better than mass-produced lager, the City Gate threads that needle nicely. It is also worth reading our best pubs in Exeter guide for more options in the city centre.
The City Gate's covered beer garden is one of Exeter's best-kept secrets for watching sport — heated, sheltered, and with food that is several levels above a standard matchday pie. Perfect for groups who want the atmosphere without the sticky floors.
Address: Iron Bridge, North Street, EX4 3RB. Sports shown: TNT Sports — Premier League, rugby, major events. Screens: Big screens inside and outside. Food: Full gastropub menu. Best for: Sport with good food, outdoor watching.
The Mount Radford, Magdalen Road
A proper community pub on Magdalen Road, the Mount Radford takes its sport seriously. This Greene King pub shows fixtures from both Sky Sports and TNT Sports, and covers an impressively wide range: football, rugby union and league, darts, boxing, motorsport, NFL, and more. If there is live sport on, chances are it is on here.
The pub offers 10% off selected drinks one hour before, during, and after every live televised sporting event — a deal worth knowing about if you are a regular. Facilities include a cashless pool table, dartboard, and shuffleboard, plus Wi-Fi throughout. It is the kind of local that rewards loyalty, and the Magdalen Road location means it is surrounded by good restaurants if you want to make a night of it.
Address: 73-75 Magdalen Road, EX2 4TA. Sports shown: Sky Sports, TNT Sports — football, rugby, darts, boxing, motorsport, NFL. Screens: Multiple. Food: Pub menu. Best for: Locals, regular match-goers, the drinks deal.
The Imperial, New North Road
One of the biggest Wetherspoons in the UK, The Imperial occupies a stunning former hotel building from 1810 on New North Road, close to both the university and the railway stations. The sheer size of the place means it absorbs big matchday crowds without feeling cramped, and the architectural grandeur — it was the Imperial Hotel for over seventy years — gives it a character that most Wetherspoons simply do not have.
It is not a dedicated sports bar, but the screens are there and the atmosphere on major matchdays can be surprisingly good, fuelled in part by the student crowd from the nearby university. The Wetherspoons pricing makes it the most affordable option on this list by some margin, which is no small thing when you are watching a full day of sport and the rounds keep coming. If you are socialising on a budget, this is your spot.
Address: New North Road, EX4 4AH. Sports shown: Major events on screens. Food: Standard Wetherspoons menu. Best for: Budget-friendly matchdays, large groups, students.
The Matchday Experience: Exeter's Stadiums
Sandy Park — Exeter Chiefs Rugby
There is watching rugby on a screen, and then there is watching it at Sandy Park. The home of the Exeter Chiefs offers a matchday experience that goes well beyond the 80 minutes on the pitch. The Powderham Bar Fan Zone opens three hours before kick-off with live music, pre-match entertainment, and family activities. The atmosphere builds steadily and by the time the teams run out, it is properly electric.
There is seating for every preference — loud and proud on the terraces, relaxed family areas in the Inch's Stand, classic sideline views, or the drama of sitting behind the posts. After the final whistle, a post-match party in the 'Sin-Bin' underneath the East Stand features a DJ, and fans can stay to meet the players. The whole thing is designed to feel like a community event, not just a sporting fixture.
With the 2025 Rugby World Cup having brought matches to Sandy Park, the stadium has had recent upgrades that make the experience even better. Ticket availability varies, but it is worth checking for midweek fixtures and less high-profile matches if you want to experience it for the first time.
Address: Sandy Park Way, EX2 7NN. Getting there: Shuttle buses run from the city centre on matchdays. Atmosphere: Electric, family-friendly, community-focused. Best for: The complete rugby experience.
St James Park — Exeter City FC
Exeter City's home ground offers something that no sports bar can replicate: the authentic, intimate atmosphere of a community-owned football club. St James Park is compact and old-school, and the Big Bank terrace is where the noise comes from — a proper standing section where the chants echo around the ground and create a genuine home advantage.
The matchday ritual starts well before kick-off. Pubs near the ground — the Duke of York Inn, the Victoria Inn, and The Bowling Green — fill with supporters creating a pre-match buzz that is part of the experience. The club's supporter-owned status means there is a connection between fans and team that you do not always find higher up the football pyramid. It is raw, authentic, and if you have never experienced lower-league football in England, it is something every sports fan should try at least once.
Address: St James Park, Stadium Way, EX4 6PX. Getting there: Walking distance from the city centre. Atmosphere: Intimate, passionate, community-owned. Best for: Authentic English football atmosphere.
The 2025/26 Season: What to Watch in Exeter
The Exeter Chiefs 2025/26 Gallagher Premiership season kicked off at Sandy Park in October, with the squad bolstered by high-profile signings including Australian international Len Ikitau and Wallaby Tom Hooper. After a difficult previous campaign — the worst in the club's Premiership history — the Chiefs are rebuilding with a new kit from premium sportswear brand Castore and a renewed determination to return to the top of the table. Matchdays at Sandy Park remain one of the best sporting experiences in Devon, and the city's sports bars come alive whenever the Chiefs are playing.
For those watching from the pub, Ludo has rapidly become the city's venue of choice for major matchdays. They showed every Six Nations 2026 match live from February to March, with the rooftop terrace proving especially popular for afternoon fixtures when the weather cooperates. Samuel Jones on Exeter Quay has also emerged as a solid option — a contemporary, reimagined warehouse setting on the waterfront with pints, live sporting events, and a menu that goes well beyond standard matchday fare.
If you are new to Exeter's sporting culture and looking for ways to get involved, our social clubs guide covers sports groups and community organisations, while the running clubs and parkrun guide is worth a look if you want to participate rather than just spectate. And for the post-match debrief, our best pubs guide has plenty of options within walking distance of both stadiums.
For the best matchday experience, combine a pre-match pint at one of the city-centre sports bars with the live atmosphere at Sandy Park or St James Park itself. The contrast between screen and stadium is part of what makes Exeter's sporting culture so enjoyable — and the conversation afterwards is always better when you have been in the crowd.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the best sports bar in Exeter?
- The Stand Off on Longbrook Street is the city's dedicated sports bar, with Ludo Sports Bar and Kitchen at Guildhall (rooftop screens) and Allstars on Sidwell Street the other major venues.
- Where can I watch the football in Exeter?
- Allstars and The Stand Off show the biggest fixture lists; City Gate, The Mount Radford and The Imperial are the best traditional pubs with comprehensive sports coverage.
- Where do Exeter Chiefs fans drink on matchday?
- Sandy Park itself has extensive matchday bars, and City Gate and pubs along the river fill with supporters before kick-off. Arrive early on big fixture days.
- Do Exeter sports bars show rugby and football?
- Yes — every venue in this guide shows both, with the dedicated bars running multiple screens so simultaneous fixtures all get shown.
The Social Power of Watching Sport Together
It is easy to dismiss watching sport as passive entertainment, but the research tells a different story. Shared emotional experiences — the highs, the lows, the collective tension — create bonds between people in ways that ordinary socialising often does not. You do not need to know someone well to celebrate a goal together, and that moment of shared joy can be the starting point for something more lasting.
Big matches sell out quickly, both at the stadiums and in the best sports bars. For Six Nations weekends, Premier League derbies, and boxing cards, book tables in advance where possible or arrive early. The Stand Off, Ludo, and the City Gate all take bookings for major events.
If you have been finding it harder to meet people or maintain friendships — and you are not alone in that — watching sport together is one of the most natural, low-pressure ways to spend time with people. You do not need to carry a conversation for two hours straight. There are built-in talking points. There are natural breaks for refills and food. And if things go well, you have got an excuse to meet again next week for the next fixture.
Whether it is a regular Premier League pub with the same group every Saturday, or rounding up friends for a Six Nations afternoon, sport gives your social life a rhythm. And in Exeter, with its deep rugby and football culture, the opportunities to plug into that are everywhere.
Ready to Find Your Matchday Crew?
Some of the best friendships start with a shared cheer. If you are looking for people to watch the match with — or just want a reason to get out and socialise — we might be able to help.