NTN Buzztime Announces Winner of Annual "Smartest Bar" Competition
Participating Venues Report Increased Foot Traffic, Sales, and Engagement
CARLSBAD, Calif., Sept. 27, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- NTN Buzztime, Inc (NYSE American: NTN) is pleased to announce the official winner of Smartest Bar, the ultimate nationwide trivia competition. West Park Station in Cleveland, Ohio was crowned the Smartest Bar, after achieving the highest scores over seven weeks of gameplay. West Park Station will receive a championship trophy, medals, gifts, and a victory party.
From August 1st through September 5th, thousands of players representing nearly 2,700 bars and restaurants aimed to be one of the top 10 bars to advance to the September 12th championship round. After the final round, West Park Station was declared the champion. Rockin Crepes in Huntington Beach, California took second place – and Esquire Club in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario came in third. They will also be awarded medals, gifts, and victory parties.
The other seven finalists are:
4. Beef 'O' Brady's Prattville, Prattville, AL
5. Boomerz, Austin, TX
6. B-52 Burger and Brew, Inver Grove Heights, MN
7. Big Guys, Winnipeg, MB
8. Teasers, Chicago, IL
9. Stavro's Sports Bar, Calgary, AB
10. Chicago Loop, Streamwood, IL
"I want to personally congratulate the top 10 bars and their players. They exemplify Buzztime values: friendly competition, camaraderie, and community. After showing up and playing hard every Wednesday, their success is well deserved," said Ram Krishnan, NTN Buzztime CEO.
For the 10 million registered Buzztime players, the opportunity to compete in an elite trivia event is a rewarding experience. Smartest Bar gives players a chance to test their skills against players across the country in a social setting.
Lee Anne McIntyre, who played on the team representing the 3rd place bar, Esquire Club, said, "We enjoy competing in Smartest Bar each year - it's always a great experience! Teams step up and bring their 'A' game, which pushes everyone to play their best. I would like to acknowledge the wonderful sportsmanship of the teams. We've had teams from other bars call to congratulate us. We're paying it forward by congratulating other teams as well!"
Smartest Bar 2018 was also a "win" for every participating bar. The competition increased Buzztime gameplay by 25% as compared to the summer average. Matt Patreau, Program Director at Esquire Club, which placed third in Smartest Bar, said, "Smartest Bar has been great, not only for our bottom line, but it has also brought in more people. It has created a contagious, energetic atmosphere and sense of pride in our location with our guests. We can't wait to compete again!"
An employee at Stavro's Sports Bar, which placed 9th, saw a similar impact from Smartest Bar. "We've had an uptick in new customers who were excited to join the high stakes trivia competition. Smartest Bar sparked social connections among patrons. Players really bonded and formed a community that continues to play Buzztime together throughout the week. That boost in repeat business is positively impacting our operations."
The increased foot traffic and gameplay during Smartest Bar also benefited Buzztime's network of DOOH advertising partners, whose branding messages and promotions were seen by engaged guests on 15,000 screens and 65,000 Android tablets.
"Smartest Bar 2018 may be over, but players can still visit their favorite bars and restaurants for social entertainment and the thrill of competition. Locally and nationally scheduled trivia games run seven days a week, 15 hours a day. Players compete with others across the bar – and across the country – for a spot on the Buzztime leaderboard," said Ram Krishnan.
Buzztime is also launching promotions and sweepstakes throughout the remainder of 2018 to reward players for trying out new trivia games or playing on a regular basis.
About Buzztime:
Buzztime (NYSE American: NTN) delivers interactive entertainment and innovative technology, including performance analytics and secure payment with Europay, MasterCard® and Visa® (EMV) chip card readers or with near-field communication (NFC) technology to accept Apple, Android and Samsung Pay. Most frequently used in bars and restaurants in North America, the Buzztime tablets and technology offer engaging solutions to establishments that have guests who experience dwell time, such as casinos, senior living, and more. Casual dining venues license Buzztime's customizable solution to differentiate themselves via competitive fun by offering guests trivia, card, sports and arcade games, customized menus and self-service dining features. Buzztime's platform improves operating efficiencies, creates connections among the players and venues, and amplifies guests' positive experiences. The Buzztime platform has also been recently resold and the content licensed for other businesses serving other markets. For more information, please visit http://www.buzztime.com or follow us on Facebook or Twitter @buzztime.
IR AGENCY CONTACT:
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SOURCE NTN Buzztime, Inc.
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