What to Know
- Fans turned up to official 49ers watch parties in San Francisco, San Jose and Mexico City to watch the playoff game against the Dallas Cowboys
- The 49ers are planning more watch parties as the team hits the road for the NFC Championship game against the Eagles in Philadelphia
- The parties are family-friendly, and include the music and sounds of Levi's Stadium along with giveaways and prizes
As the clock ticked down on the 49ers' 19 to 12 playoff victory against the Dallas Cowboys, raucous cheers and the unmistakable sound of a foghorn echoed off the glass and concrete of San Francisco's tallest downtown buildings.
"What a game!" exclaimed University of San Francisco student Kyle Martinez. "I almost had a heart attack, I'm not gonna lie!"
Martinez and his friends were bundled up in their warmest 49ers gear, watching the game on giant LED screens at one of the Niners' official playoff watch parties. This one took place at the outdoor event space called The Crossing at East Cut, on the site of the former Temporary Transbay Terminal.
"We know that San Francisco is our namesake, so we want to be able to create an atmosphere up in San Francisco like Levi's Stadium," said 49ers senior fan engagement manager Nick Clarke. "You're going to hear some of the sounds that you would hear at Levi's Stadium — not just fans cheering, but some of the touchdown songs and the starting lineup, everything like that."
San Francisco is one of three cities where the 49ers are holding official watch parties throughout the NFL Playoffs. Just up the road from Levi's Stadium, they're also welcoming fans at San Pedro Social in San Jose, and after the Niners played in Mexico City last November, the team wanted to hold playoff watch parties there too. The parties include giveaway items at the door and raffles for special prizes including autographed memorabilia.
Sports
"We know there's millions of 49ers fans, and we've only got 70,000 seats here, so what can we do beyond Levi's Stadium? That's where it comes in with the watch parties," Clarke said. "We want folks to wear red, get loud and bring the energy."
In San Francisco, the team got its wish. Fans wearing new and vintage 49ers gear showed up with wool hats and blankets and crowded around patio heaters, but once the Niners began scoring points, the cold weather seemed the furthest thing from anyone's mind.
Get a weekly recap of the latest San Francisco Bay Area housing news. Sign up for NBC Bay Area’s Housing Deconstructed newsletter.
"Dude, I've been a 49er fan since I was a kid," a fan named Alejandro told us. "I had an older cousin try to turn me into a Raider fan. Didn't work! ... I've never heard a 49er fan leave to root for another team. But everybody wants to come root for us!"
The 49ers will hold their next round of watch parties on Sunday, January 29 when the team takes on the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship at noon Pacific time.
