Organization of Company	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2017
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Organization of Company	1. Organization of Company Description of Business NTN Buzztime, Inc. (the “Company”) was incorporated in Delaware in 1984 as Alroy Industries and changed its corporate name to NTN Communications, Inc. in 1985. The Company changed its name to NTN Buzztime, Inc. in 2005 to better reflect the growing role of the Buzztime consumer brand. The Company delivers interactive entertainment and innovative dining technology to bars and restaurants in North America. Customers subscribe to the Company’s customizable solution to differentiate themselves via competitive fun by offering guests trivia, card, sports and single player games, nationwide competitions, and by offering self-service dining features including dynamic menus, touchscreen ordering and secure payment. The Company’s platform can improve operating efficiencies, create connections among the players and venues and amplify guests’ positive experiences. Built on an extended network platform, the Company’s interactive entertainment system has historically allowed multiple players to interact at the venue and also enables competition between venues, referred to as massively multiplayer gaming. The Company’s current platform, which it refers to as Buzztime Entertainment On Demand, or BEOND, was commercially launched during 2013 and then scaled during 2014. The Company continues to enhance its network architecture and the BEOND tablet platform and player engagement paradigms. The Company also continues to support its legacy network product line, which it refers to as Classic. The Company currently generates revenue by charging subscription fees for our service to our network subscribers, by leasing equipment (including tablets used in our BEOND tablet platform and the cases and charging trays for the tablets) to certain network subscribers, by hosting live trivia events, by selling advertising aired on in-venue screens and as part of customized games, from providing professional services (such as developing certain functionality within our platform for customers), and from pay-to-play single player games. At December 31, 2017, 2,730 venues in the U.S. and Canada subscribed to the Company’s interactive entertainment network, of which approximately 81% were using the BEOND tablet platform. Basis of Accounting Presentation The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of NTN Buzztime, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries: IWN, Inc., IWN, L.P., Buzztime Entertainment, Inc., NTN Wireless Communications, Inc., NTN Software Solutions, Inc., NTN Canada, Inc., and NTN Buzztime, Ltd., all of which, other than NTN Canada, Inc., are dormant subsidiaries. Unless otherwise indicated, references to the Company include its consolidated subsidiaries.

Organization of Company

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2017

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

1. Organization of Company

Description of Business

NTN Buzztime, Inc. (the “Company”) was incorporated in Delaware in 1984 as Alroy Industries and changed its corporate name to NTN Communications, Inc. in 1985. The Company changed its name to NTN Buzztime, Inc. in 2005 to better reflect the growing role of the Buzztime consumer brand.

The Company delivers interactive entertainment and innovative dining technology to bars and restaurants in North America. Customers subscribe to the Company’s customizable solution to differentiate themselves via competitive fun by offering guests trivia, card, sports and single player games, nationwide competitions, and by offering self-service dining features including dynamic menus, touchscreen ordering and secure payment. The Company’s platform can improve operating efficiencies, create connections among the players and venues and amplify guests’ positive experiences. Built on an extended network platform, the Company’s interactive entertainment system has historically allowed multiple players to interact at the venue and also enables competition between venues, referred to as massively multiplayer gaming. The Company’s current platform, which it refers to as Buzztime Entertainment On Demand, or BEOND, was commercially launched during 2013 and then scaled during 2014. The Company continues to enhance its network architecture and the BEOND tablet platform and player engagement paradigms. The Company also continues to support its legacy network product line, which it refers to as Classic.

The Company currently generates revenue by charging subscription fees for our service to our network subscribers, by leasing equipment (including tablets used in our BEOND tablet platform and the cases and charging trays for the tablets) to certain network subscribers, by hosting live trivia events, by selling advertising aired on in-venue screens and as part of customized games, from providing professional services (such as developing certain functionality within our platform for customers), and from pay-to-play single player games.

At December 31, 2017, 2,730 venues in the U.S. and Canada subscribed to the Company’s interactive entertainment network, of which approximately 81% were using the BEOND tablet platform.

Basis of Accounting Presentation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of NTN Buzztime, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries: IWN, Inc., IWN, L.P., Buzztime Entertainment, Inc., NTN Wireless Communications, Inc., NTN Software Solutions, Inc., NTN Canada, Inc., and NTN Buzztime, Ltd., all of which, other than NTN Canada, Inc., are dormant subsidiaries. Unless otherwise indicated, references to the Company include its consolidated subsidiaries.