Make the most of watching sports at home

June 20, 2021

Whether you’re rooting for your favorite team or tuning into an international competition, watching sports at home has many pros. You have fewer distractions, you can pause and replay to your heart’s content, and — perhaps most importantly — your couch provides comfort that stadium seats just can’t replicate. 

It might not be quite the same as being in the arena, but with some simple tips (and Philips Hue smart lights), you can enhance the way you watch sports on TV to make it even more fun.

First things first: transform your living room into an at-home arena with Hue color-capable lights. Instead of just dimming the lights down low, use color to amplify the game. Besides just setting them to the colors of your favorite team, you can actually let the lights react to the action. 

Get in the game — really in the game — with surround lighting. The Philips Hue Play HDMI sync box connects directly to your TV, letting your lights flash, dance, dim, brighten, and change color in sync with the action on the screen, all in real time. 

The effect is even more dazzling with a Play gradient lightstrip, which attaches to the backside of mounted or standing TVs and casts a seamless blend of multiple colors of light against the wall.

You’ve surrounded your TV in light, so fill the rest of the space with Play light bars. Stand them up or lay them flat on either side of your setup to wash the walls with light. For an even more immersive experience, you can add them to your Entertainment area, letting them join the surround lighting experience. 

Don’t have a Hue sync box? You can still use the Play light bars to enhance the game — set them to your team’s colors or neon green to complement a soccer field, for example.

Now that you’ve got your TV lighting perfected, share the experience with friends and family! Stadiums are packed with people — while you won’t be able to fit thousands of fans in your living room, you can still do The Wave with three people.

Turning up the tunes before your sports event kicks off (or during halftime!) is a surefire way to keep spirits high. Make it a collaborative effort by asking guests to pitch in to create a playlist. Have them choose songs within a theme that represents the event — try to include artists from the countries competing or songs that tie into the sport itself. 

Bright idea: Get your guests extra pumped by syncing your lights to your playlist! Use Music mode in the Hue Sync mobile app with your Hue sync box and watch as your lights dance, brighten, dim, and change color with the beat! 

No sports viewing party is complete without a supply of snacks. Host a potluck, with everyone bringing a dish representing the team you’re rooting for. Place little flags or signs near the food to help people navigate the array of cuisine.

Games will get anyone into the sporting spirit. If you’re watching soccer, see who can do the most keepie-uppies. You could even host your own mini sporting tournament with discus using a frisbee, garden gymnastics, and an obstacle course. If all else fails, go old school — who doesn’t love an egg and spoon race?