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A trivia night system that needs no host

Contender OS Trivia Night runs the whole evening itself — questions on the big screen, teams answering from their phones, scoring done by the clock — for less than one night of a hired host.

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Live today on Contender OS. No staff work. No paperwork.

What it is

A hosted trivia night costs $150–$250 every single week, and the night dies when the host cancels. Contender OS runs trivia as a timed playlist instead: six rounds of eight questions on the room's screen, a halftime, a captain's double round, and a final wager question. Teams register and play from their phones, windows open and close on the clock, and the system scores everything and keeps season standings across weeks.

How the night runs

STEPTeams sign up from their phonesTeams register at the table; late teams can join until halftime, and any teammate can answer from any phone.

STEPThe night starts itselfAt start time — with the minimum teams in — the system opens round one. An incomplete question pack holds the night rather than opening it half-loaded.

STEPRounds run on the clockQuestions open, close, and reveal on timers. The double round is declared by each captain before it starts; the final question is a wager.

STEPStandings post themselvesPlacements convert to season points the moment the night closes, with a recap media kit for your socials.

What's built in

Host-free by design — no host to hire, pay, or replace. The system is the host.
Timed question windows — answers lock when the window closes; a late answer is never recorded, so the table-phone problem solves itself.
Final wager + double round — the two mechanics that make a trivia night feel like a game, built in.
Sudden-death tiebreaks — ties break from a reserve pack; a true dead heat shares the placement and splits points exactly.
Season standings — points tables, drop weeks, and championship nights across a full season.
Big-screen board + phone play — a fullscreen TV display runs the night in the room while teams play on their phones.
Your prizes, your config — round counts, timings, categories, and prizes are venue settings, not hard-coded.

Who it's for

Built for bars, breweries, and taprooms paying a host every week — or skipping trivia because the host math never worked. One flat monthly price replaces the per-night host fee.

Pricing

Contender OS — $99/mo per venue runs this format with the full system. Early venues can lock the Founding Operator rate of $59/mo for 12 months with the first season free. Prefer a season at a time? 6 weeks for $149 or 12 weeks for $249. Brackets-only starts at $39/mo with Bracket Box. Full details on the pricing section.

Questions

How can a trivia night run without a host?

The night is a timed playlist. Questions appear on the venue's screen with fixed answer windows, teams submit from their phones before each window closes, and the system reveals answers, scores, and standings on schedule. There is nothing for a host to read, grade, or announce.

What does it cost?

Contender OS is $99/mo per venue for the full system, or $59/mo locked for 12 months on the Founding Operator rate with your first season free. Season passes run $149 for 6 weeks or $249 for 12 weeks, and the brackets-only Bracket Box tier is $39/mo. One flat price per venue — no per-player fees on the monthly plans.

What does my venue need?

A screen or TV for the question board and Wi-Fi. Teams play on their own phones. Prizes are yours to set — the system tracks points and placements, and pays out only the prize amounts you configure.

How does a trivia night run?

Teams register from their phones. At start time the system opens the first round and runs every window on the clock — rounds, halftime, the final wager, and tiebreaks — then posts season standings and a recap when the night closes.

Also runs on Contender OS

One system for every league night in the building.

Arcade leagues Pinball Bowling leagues Rack sports — darts, pool & cornhole Karaoke Night Contender OS — all formats

Operators: get on the list

Contender OS is in live league play now with its founding operator, the National Arcade Championship. Outside operators come next. Tell us about your room and your league, and you'll hear from us as seats open.