Just moved to Astoria from the Bronx and I’m still trying to figure out the sports bar scene. I want to catch the Thursday 10pm Rangers away game, but I don’t just want it on a corner TV with closed captions while a DJ plays. My old spot near Yankee Stadium always had the MSG audio on, but it was also a very different crowd.

Is there any place in Astoria that will actually turn on the Rangers sound for a weeknight away game? I’m near Broadway/31st, but I’ll walk a bit if it means I can actually hear the play-by-play. Ideally somewhere I can sit, have a bite, and not get stink-eye for asking.

THIS. This is my exact white whale! I live in Sunset Park, but I head to Astoria for this more than I’d like to admit. The magic words are ask before puck drop, not after the DJ starts.

Try Doyle’s on Broadway. They have a back corner TV and a bartender who gets it. Have you tried the back room at Cronin & Phelan? They’ve put MSG audio on for me if trivia isn’t running. Avoid the big soccer bars on Steinway on a Thursday—they will not unmute unless it’s a Champions League night.

Have you tried a place with tabletop speakers? Those save you from the room sound war.

Astoria is weird for hockey because a lot of rooms lean soccer, MMA, or Knicks. A smaller Irish bar on 31st Street or Ditmars is usually a safer bet than a place with a full cocktail list and a late-night DJ on Thursday.

For a 10pm start, the main issue is the flip: a lot of bars turn on music around 11 or 11:30, and you can lose audio right when the third period gets tight. I’d call ahead on Thursday afternoon and ask: do you get MSGSN, and can you unmute the Rangers at 10? That filters out most bad options in one minute.

My list would be:

• Doyle’s Corner — get there before 9:45, ask at the rail, not the server.
• The Local on Ditmars — back room is sometimes yours if there’s no private party.
• McCann’s on 31st — depends on the bartender and how slammed the front bar is.

Big caveat: if the Knicks play the same night, the Rangers become second priority almost everywhere. Also check whether the game is on MSGSN or ESPN+. Some places only have the streaming feed, and the audio may be delayed or not available on the main receiver. If it’s an ESPN+ night, ask specifically about that, not just ‘the Rangers game.’

If it all fails, bring earbuds and use the MSG app as a backup. Not as fun, but you’ll hear the call.

I tried this last Saturday for the Knicks at a place on 30th Ave. The bartender turned the sound on, but then a group near the back asked for music and he switched it off. Maybe I should have been more annoying? I felt too awkward to ask again.

Do people tip extra right when they ask for audio? Is that a thing? I bought a drink and fries, but maybe I should have tipped him upfront. I’m new to the whole sports bar thing and I don’t want to be a jerk about it.

Yes, tip extra!! Bartenders remember the hockey people if you don’t make them play referee for every TV. I’m in Dumbo and I still travel to Astoria for this exact mission!

Have you tried Katch? They have tons of TVs and some booths have personal speakers. Personal speakers are the move because you can actually hear MSG without starting a room war. The downside is sometimes the little speaker is missing or dead, so ask before you order food.

Also, is Thursday an ESPN+ night? Because that changes everything. If it’s streaming-only, half the bars won’t unmute even if they have the picture. I need a master list for this.

Thanks, everyone. I didn’t even think about ESPN+ vs MSG. That probably explains why my old Bronx spot was silent some nights too. I’ll call Doyle’s before heading out.

@city_kitty_new I also want to know the tipping rule. I don’t want to be the person who expects the whole bar to change for one fan. Do you just say it with a couple bucks already in your hand, or is that too aggressive?

And yes, if I’m camping for a whole game, I’m eating wings, not just sitting there with a water. Not trying to get kicked out at second intermission.

There are two separate issues here: asking for audio and holding a seat for two and a half hours.

For the seat: buy real food, keep a drink in front of you, and don’t spread out across three stools unless you have three people. Wings, a burger, or even a coffee and a plate of fries is enough. If you’re going to be there for a 10pm game, you don’t have to drink alcohol, but don’t be a zero-dollar camper.

For the audio: asking is normal. Say “Any chance we can get the Rangers audio over here?” If they say no, drop it. If they say yes, thank them by name, then tip a little extra on the first round or the food. You don’t need to wave cash around. One good tip after they do it works better than twenty vague promises.

One more caveat: if the room is mostly people eating and you’re the only one watching hockey, understand if they won’t unmute. Sound for one person at the expense of the whole dining room is not a reasonable ask. That’s why I prefer the back bars and corner TVs where the sports crowd sits.

For Thursday, call ahead and ask if they have the MSGSN feed, not just ‘the game’ on a generic channel. If you mention the Rangers and the start time, the bartender will know immediately if they can do it.

I am begging everyone to update this thread if they find a place that unmutes the Rangers without the bartender rolling their eyes!

Have you tried the back room at Cronin & Phelan? They had MSG audio for a playoff game once and it was like a tiny clubhouse. I also love Katch’s personal speakers, but half the time they’re missing or the battery is dead. Why don’t more bars install tabletop speakers? It’s such a simple fix!

Also, if you ask for MSG audio and someone immediately requests music, we should form a Rangers Audio Support Group. No reason a Thursday 10pm away game should lose sound to a DJ set with six people in the room.

Okay I tried again last night at a spot near the Ditmars stop after reading this. I said “Can we get the Rangers audio?” and the bartender was way nicer than I expected. He unmuted the front TV and even said he’d keep it on as long as no live music started.

Then the other team scored like a minute in and I yelled, and a couple at the bar looked at me, but it was fine. I bought wings and tipped extra on the first round. That felt like the right move.

There was a sign about no audio after 11pm on weekends. Is that common? This was a Tuesday, so we were fine. @bronx_newbie if you go Thursday, get there early. I barely got two seats, and this was a weeknight.

YES!! The no-audio-after-11pm thing is real at a bunch of places because the late-night crowd shows up and the vibe shifts. Thursday might be okay if the game starts at 10, but if it goes to overtime you could lose sound at midnight! That’s the worst sports bar feeling: OT on the screen, music on the speakers, and everyone leaning in to read captions.

Have you tried asking them to keep the audio on just for overtime? Some bartenders will do it if enough people ask, especially if the room is still mostly Rangers people. Also, can we all agree that tabletop speakers should be required in every sports bar?

I’m still confused when the game is on MSG+, ESPN, TNT, or the streaming app. We need a sticky thread for that. But I’m thrilled you got a Rangers audio win in the wild! Where exactly was it? I’m making my own list and I’m not above traveling for reliable sound.

Update: I went to Doyle’s last night and it worked. Got there around 9:15, asked the bartender at the rail, and he said something like “Rangers? I got you.” He put the game on the back corner TV with actual audio and a few other Rangers people drifted over. It turned into a tiny watch party by the third period.

We had sound the whole game, even past 11. I ordered wings and a soda, tipped extra, and nobody seemed annoyed. Thanks @astoria_arch, @DumboSunset, and @city_kitty_new for the advice.

Now I have a new question: what’s the deal with MSG+ blackouts in Astoria? If I can’t make it out, will the app actually let me watch Rangers games here, or am I blacked out? And how do you navigate asking for Rangers audio on a night when the Yankees are in the playoffs? I’m not trying to start a bar civil war in October.