49ers host watch parties in Bay Area, Mexico, UK
SAN JOSE, Calif. - For fans who do not have tickets to this Sunday’s game, the 49ers have you covered. The team is sponsoring three local watch parties for the game and several others in international locations.
At San Pedro Social on West Santa Clara Street in downtown San Jose, preparations are underway here for the big game on Sunday vs. the Detroit Lions and there is no lack of excitement.
San Pedro Social is just one of several venues that will be packed with 49ers fans on Sunday. Chairs are being steam cleaned, big screen TVs are at the ready, and there’s an expectation of high levels of fan enthusiasm.
The goal is to make the environment just as exciting as Levi’s Stadium itself.
"It is like a tailgate party on steroids, it is just insane," said Jess Morales, operations manager for the parent company of San Pedro Social.
The venue has hosted previous watch parties for important games, such as last weekend’s divisional game against the Green Bay Packers.
"This is the penultimate weekend of the NFL season, so we have to do some great things to get our fans ready and excited for the game itself," said Nick Clarke, 49ers' senior manager of fan engagement. "When we do things like rallies or watch parties or anything like that that is away from our building it is really a great opportunity for us to connect with that fan and build that extra level of connectivity with the team itself."
International fans are also very much on the team’s radar. In 2022, the 49ers played against the Arizona Cardinals in Mexico City.
This Sunday watch parties will be held in Mexico City and Monterrey in Mexico.
"When it comes to the international side, it is a great opportunity and we are so lucky that we have a historic brand that is so globally known. When you talk about Mexico, we played there in 2022, but we also played there in 2005. And we have seen how the fan base has grown in that period of time," Clarke said.
In the United Kingdom, what is called "American football" is also catching on with the 49ers hosting a viewing party in Leeds, where the 49ers also own the professional soccer team Leeds United.
"What they call football is the king out there, so we bring American football and American football is growing so much out there and there is already an established fan base," Clarke said.
Back at San Pedro Social, Jess Moreles said: "It should be a packed house and a lot of fun!"
The three Bay Area watch parties are:
San Pedro Social 163 W. Santa Clara St., San Jose
MoMo’s 760 Second St. in San Francisco
Plank 98 Broadway in Oakland
All official watch parties begin at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, but you need free tickets at 49ers.com to guarantee admission. Even if tickets sell out, fans will still be allowed in on a space-available basis.