Ever scrolled past a Facebook advert for "win your dream car" and wondered just how many people are actually playing? Best of the Best, or BOTB, has become a familiar name on social media and TV, offering people the chance to win a new car for a relatively small entry fee. The appeal is straightforward: high-value prizes, modest ticket prices, and the public reveal of winners.
The question of how popular BOTB really is matters for anyone thinking of entering. Ticket volumes, public winner announcements and a steady stream of online discussion all give clues about its reach and how many take part each week.
If you’re curious about where the competition sits in the wider market and what draws people in, read on to see the figures and the trends behind them.
BOTB: What Is It and How Does It Work?
BOTB, short for Best of the Best, is a skill-based competition where players can win cars, cash prizes and experiences. Founded in the late 1990s, it moved online and now runs regular prize competitions, with a format that centres on player judgement rather than pure chance.
Players pick the prize they want to target and buy a ticket priced according to the prize on offer, with some lower-end entries starting under £1 and premium draws costing more. The best-known mechanic is “Spot the Ball”: a photo from a simulated football scene has the ball removed and players mark where they think the ball’s centre should be. Independent judges later measure entries to decide the closest submission.
The operation is regulated and limited to adults aged 18 and over. Always play within your means and treat entries as entertainment rather than a way to make money.
This overview sets the scene for how BOTB reaches potential players and keeps them coming back.
How Does BOTB Attract New Players?
BOTB uses visible advertising and prize variety to bring in new entrants. Frequent TV, radio and social media spots often feature real winner reactions and handovers, which raise awareness and encourage people to check the draws online.
Prize variety plays a major role: everything from electric cars to experience packages appears across weekly competitions, so different draws appeal to different interests. Occasional introductory offers for first-time entrants—clearly signposted with terms and age restrictions—also help convert curious visitors into players.
Engagement continues after sign-up through social channels, regular emails and behind-the-scenes content that keeps the brand present in people’s feeds. The next section looks at how many people respond to these tactics and the scale of entries BOTB typically receives.
Player Numbers: How Many People Enter BOTB Competitions?
BOTB does not publish a single, public player-count, but other filings and public data give a clear sense of entry volumes. The flagship weekly Car Competition and Lifestyle Competition often see combined ticket sales exceeding 100,000 per week. Individual popular draws can attract anywhere from 30,000 to 50,000 unique entrants, with many players buying multiple tickets.
Across a typical month this level of activity can translate into well over 400,000 tickets sold, reflecting both repeat engagement and a sizeable regular customer base. Social metrics such as views and comments on winner videos also underline the reach; reveal clips commonly generate thousands of interactions, which supports the picture of consistent, high interest.
Understanding these volumes helps explain the patterns discussed next and how BOTB’s popularity has changed over time.
Trends in BOTB’s Popularity
BOTB’s shift from in-person promotions to a digital platform in the 2010s opened access to a much larger audience and coincided with steady growth in entries. A notable spike occurred during the 2020 lockdown period, when leisure time online increased and monthly ticket volumes rose substantially—sometimes topping half a million tickets in peak months.
Seasonal effects are also clear. Special events such as Christmas or summer prize launches frequently see bumps of around 20% or more compared with quieter weeks. Collaborations or high-profile prize announcements produce short-term surges in engagement, visible in entry numbers and social metrics alike.
Despite these peaks and troughs, the competition has maintained a strong baseline of weekly entries, adapting prize choices and promotions to match changing interests. That resilience helps explain how BOTB compares with peers in the same sector.
How Popular Is BOTB Compared to Similar Competitions?
Within the UK skill‑based prize-draw market, BOTB ranks among the better-known and more frequently entered operators. Its weekly ticket totals put it near the top in terms of sustained activity, largely because it runs numerous regular draws rather than only occasional large promotions.
Other operators—some running fewer but sometimes larger charity-linked or one-off prize campaigns—can match or exceed BOTB on single-event entries, but they rarely match BOTB’s regular weekly volume. Smaller firms typically record much lower ticket numbers for standard draws, which keeps BOTB prominent in overall market share.
Next, we turn to the community around BOTB and what those who play most often say about the experience.
Insights from the BOTB Community
BOTB’s public winner announcements and social pages have helped create a lively community where players discuss entries, watch reveal videos and share reactions. The openness of winner stories supplies a steady source of content that feeds discussion and keeps newcomers engaged.
Who Are Typical BOTB Players?
Participants come from a wide spread of ages and occupations across the UK. big-ticket prizes draw car fans, tech-leaning entrants and people drawn by occasional big-ticket prizes. Age profiles commonly run from the late twenties to mid-fifties, and winners include a mix of men and women working in professions such as teaching, engineering, healthcare and small business ownership.
What Draws Players to BOTB?
Players point to several recurring attractions:
- A range of prizes that suit different tastes and budgets.
- The spot-the-ball mechanic, which gives a sense of skill and involvement.
- Regular winner videos and handovers that create anticipation and social proof.
- A straightforward entry process with low-cost options for occasional play.
These elements together foster ongoing interest without relying on repeated reminders about playing responsibly, which are present but not overemphasised.
That community perspective helps explain why BOTB holds its place in the market: visible prize handovers and varied draws keep people watching and entering, sustaining steady participation over time.
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