The sport
Big moments anyone watching can spot.
- 4th down conversion
- Crowd boos an official’s call
- 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, itit’s someone’s first football game of the yearrsquo;s someoneit’s someone’s first football game of the yearrsquo;s first football game on TV this 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.
Read the transcript
- Who at your watch party isn’t watching?
- Put a bingo card on the phone they’re already looking at.
- The host holds up a code.
- A guest scans it and types a first name.
- The host sees who joined, then starts the game.
- Every phone counts down together.
- She taps the squares she sees.
- Five in a row. She taps Bingo.
- Her five squares appear on the host’s phone.
- The room agrees.
- She gets the medal, and every phone shows who won.
- Bingo for watch parties. Guests play free on any phone. sportspartybingo.com
- 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.
- Host spills food or a drink (on purpose 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 with painted face or body on TV
- Living animal (not a bird) on TV
- A commercial makes the room laugh out loud
Don’t know a sports word on a square? Ask the fan next to you.
Wherever you host
Every square can happen at your party
At home, in a church hall, at a bar or on a group call, every card is winnable. Nobody sits waiting on a square that was never going to happen.
- Guests at home are part of the party.They play the same game as the room, with the group call one tap away.
- A fair shot for everyone.Guests who can’t hear the TV play on even terms. A family party stays family friendly.
- The game keeps up with the party.Someone joins from across town at halftime, and the next card fits them.
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.
Download from 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”.
Then pick where you’re hosting.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.
Bingo
Five in a row? Shout “Bingo!”
- The host checks it.The five squares show on the host’s phone, and the host checks each one with everyone watching, in the room or on the call.
- A party prize, in real life.The host provides it. Chocolate works. Wrap a few and save the best one for last. Ideas: Party Shop
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.
- Guests can play from anywhere.Grandma across the country is in the same game as the couch.
- Every square can happen.Wherever you host, nobody waits on a square that will never come.
- 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. Guests play free. 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.
Can guests play from somewhere else?
Yes. Text them the link. Their cards hold only squares they can see from home, so they have the same shot at Bingo as the room. Add your group call, and they’re a tap away from the party.
Does it work in a bar or pub?
Yes. Tell the app you’re at a bar, and nobody’s card waits on an announcer they can’t hear over the crowd.
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 from 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.