The sport
Big moments anyone watching can spot.
- Fourth down conversion
- Referee makes a call that is booed by crowd
- Player loses helmet, shoe or mouth guard during play
For every guest, fan or not
Not everyone at your watch party came for the game.
Some guests are glued to the TV. Others drift to the kitchen, scroll their phones, or head home early.
Wrap a few party prizes. Hand everyone a card on their phone. Then watch who tunes back in.
Guests play free on iPhone or Android. Nothing to install. The squares are moments anyone watching can spot.
Pick a sport
An example card. Squares get marked as things happen in the room and on TV. The middle row fills up: someone arrives late, a pass is dropped, a weirdly dressed fan is on TV, it’s someone’s first football game of the year, a penalty flag is thrown. Five in a row, and the card says Bingo. A sticker on the card says Android phones play, too.
At the party
What happens when the cards go out
True stories from over 25 years of watch parties hosted by the creator of Sports Party Bingo.
- The first card.Somebody who doesn’t follow the sport studies the card with real enthusiasm, then starts competing for the prize like it’s a party game.
- The other team.A lifelong fan’s square says to cheer for the other team. Now they have a moral choice to make, and the whole room is watching.
- The big play.The fans roar, and a second later someone who doesn’t follow the sport calls out “Bingo.” The cheering turns into laughter.
- The quiet one.The quietest guest turns out to be the fiercest competitor in the room.
- The kitchen.The fans still watch every play. Now everyone else is watching with them. The kitchen empties out, and nobody’s in a hurry to go home.
What’s on a card
Three piles of squares
Every card mixes all three, so the biggest fan in the room and the guest who doesn’t follow the sport have the same shot at Bingo. These are from a football card.
The room
Some squares need help from the room.
- Party host spills food or drink (intentionally or not)
- First football game you have watched on TV this year
- Two people at the party hug one another
The broadcast
Commercials, announcers and whatever the camera finds.
- Fan has painted face or body parts
- Any living animal other than a bird appears on the TV
- Sports drink is dumped on coach (past highlight or live)
Don’t know a sports word on a square? Ask the fan next to you.
For the host
Hosting takes four steps.
You host the game via the Sports Party Bingo app on your iPhone or iPad. Guests join in their browser, on any phone or tablet, with nothing to install.
Before the party: get the Sports Party Bingo app on your iPhone or iPad from the App Store (Download on the App Store), $4.99, one time. Only you install it. Guests never do.
Open the app, type the teams
Short names for the two teams, like “Wildcats”.
Hold up the code
Guests scan it with their camera, or you text them the link.
Start the game
Everyone’s card shows at once. You can play, too.
Play
Everyone taps what happens. Five in a row wins.
More for hosts: the living room, the church hall, the barracks
Bingo
Five in a row. Read it out.
- Read the five squares out loud.So the whole room hears.
- A party prize, in real life.Chocolate works. Wrap a few and save the best one for last.
Illustration: five squares in a row get marked, turn gold, and a BINGO stamp lands on them. Tap the row to play it again.
Paper or phone
Why not just print cards?
It’s been a paper game at real watch parties for over 25 years. The app works better.
- It’s on their phone.The guests who drift to their phones are already holding a card.
- Nothing to make, print or hand out.No pens. Whoever shows up gets a card.
- Nobody misses a Bingo.Five in a row pops up a Bingo button.
- Late arrivals are in right away.They scan and get a card, even in the last few minutes.
- The host watches the game.The next card is one tap, not a stack of new cards.
Questions
Quick answers
Do guests need the app?
No. Guests scan the host’s code or tap a texted link and play in their browser. iPhone or Android. Nothing to install, nothing to pay.
What does it cost?
$4.99, once, for the host. All four sports are included. No subscription.
Do I have to know the sport?
No. The squares are written for the person who didn’t come for the game. If one needs explaining, ask the fan next to you.
Does anything go on the TV?
No. Keep the TV on the broadcast. Every card is on its own phone.
Where do I get it?
It’s on the App Store for iPhone and iPad. Tap Download on the App Store at the top of this page.
One person buys the app. Everybody else plays.
The host pays $4.99 once, on iPhone or iPad. Guests play free on any phone or tablet. All four sports.