We all have that one friend who has a trove of obscure knowledge at the ready. Thanks to them, we know that a woodpecker’s tongue is so long that it wraps around its skull. And that the common swift can fly for up to ten months without landing.
These are the pals eager to flex their brains at pub quiz night. And also the ones we all want on our teams. Coincidentally, many of them were also the last to be picked in elementary school gym class. So this is a vindication of sorts.
No one can say with 100 percent certainty when and where the trivia night originated. Which is often the case when it comes to nailing down facts when alcohol is involved. But the first use of the word quiz with reference to a test of knowledge was in 1867. And some say the first trivia nightzes were actually inspired by the first televisions. Back in the 1950s when fewer people had them at home, they would congregate in pubs to drink, socialize, and watch TV quiz shows. This in turn inspired bar owners to create their own analog versions in-house.
But there are certainly some benefits for giving the traditional trivia night a digital makeover.
Why Use a TV Leaderboard for trivia nights?
Displaying scores on a TV screen brings trivia night back to its classic roots. But the benefits of digital scoring go well beyond nostalgia. Here's why you should consider moving away from traditional paper scoring:
Enhanced Engagement
Using an online leaderboard that you can display on a television makes results visible to everyone in real-time. As soon as a team earns points, they can be added to the leaderboard, which will automatically re-tally the score and adjust the ranking. Seeing their teams go up or down in the rankings makes the trivia night more suspenseful and entertaining.
More Professional
An online leaderboard that flashes on the big screen is already impressive enough. But with tools like KeepTheScore you can customize the color, messaging, team logos, and background of your leaderboard to fit your theme, a holiday, or your pub.
More Manageable
By automatically adding points after each team’s right answer, you can make your trivia night more fast-paced and exciting. But more importantly, there’s…
Less Math
Instead of having to add up all the scores after each round or at the end, the leaderboard will automatically add up the scores for you as you go. Not only does this spare you the embarrassment of minor math errors, it’s also more transparent for everyone involved.
Heed the acronym and just K.I.S.S. Keep it simple, stupid, with a digital leaderboard.
Where Can You Find Trivia Night Questions?
We’ve given you two great questions for your next trivia night, but you’re probably going to need a few more. Unless you’re a random fact genius, you might be happy for some resources. Here are a few suggestions:
Online Resources
There are plenty of online resources where you can get some inspiration. JetPunk has questions listed by category, popularity, and language. There’s even a whole Subreddit dedicated to trivia questions sourced from the community.
Books and Trivia Collections
If you prefer a more analog approach, head to the library or Amazon for books like The Ultimate Pub Quiz Book. You can even buy multi-packs from everyone’s favorite trivia game, Trivial Pursuit.
AI Tools (like ChatGPT)
Or if the exact opposite of analog is what you’re looking for, you can turn to AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Mistral. This might be the easiest option since you can get very specific about what you want in your prompt. For example
- You’re a bar owner and you want to attract a new customer base: Gen Z. Create a list of twenty questions that would appeal to this generation.
- You’re the host of a ladies’ night at an upscale wine bar that hosts a trivia night. Create a list of twenty questions about famous women in history.
Just remember, if you decide to go this route, you’re going to want to double and triple check the results for accuracy.
The right questions for the right audience will ensure people keep coming back to your trivia night.
Use KeepTheScore to Create Your trivia night Leaderboard or Scoreboard
With your questions ready and your teams hopefully psyched to show off their knowledge, it’s time to create a leaderboard you can stream to your television set. That’s where KeepTheScore comes in!
Setting Up Leaderboards and Scoreboards
We recommend leaderboard for trivia night if you want to award points to the individual players:
- Enter the number of participants.
- Choose the names / team names of all your participants.
- Click on Settings to add a board name, choose a new theme or layout, or add your own logo. You can also change the default colors and background image.
- Quiz time!
A team leaderboard let’s you keep track of each participant’s points and the team as a whole.
If you don’t need to keep score for each individual participant, then you can create a multi-team scoreboard instead. This is a great option for teams that each have their own logos:
- Click on the button above and choose Multi team scoreboard.
- Enter the names of each team and personalize them with the team colors and logo.
- Change the background color and logo of your board.
- Choose a title for your board.
- Set a timer.
- Start quizzing!
Get a bit more creative with team logos with a multi-team scoreboard
Display Your Boards on Your Television
There are a few ways to get your leaderboard onto a larger viewing screen. The easiest way is generally with an HDMI cable connecting your computer (with your open leaderboard) directly to your television. However, there are a few other options. Read our article with more detailed setup specifics to get started.
Do you have any good quiz questions you want to share? Tell us in the comments section! And if you want regular inspiration on how to use KeepTheScore, sign up for our newsletter.
