NYT's 'Wordle' is getting its own TV game show
What's the story
The New York Times is turning its popular word puzzle game, Wordle, into a television game show on NBC. The announcement was made by Today show anchor Savannah Guthrie, who will host the show, and Jimmy Fallon, who will both be production partners for the project. The show has been in development for two-and-a-half years and will start airing next year.
Production team
Guthrie and Fallon announced the show during 'Today' broadcast
Guthrie and Fallon revealed the news during a recent broadcast of Today. The game show is said to be "fast-paced" and a "great family game," which is different from the mobile version that requires long periods of thought as players work through possible choices.
Strategic shift
First time NYT has partnered with a TV network
This is the first time The New York Times has partnered with a television network for an entertainment show. The move is part of the media company's strategy to build a sustainable digital subscription business amid declining print revenue. Wordle was launched in October 2021 by Brooklyn-based software engineer Josh Wardle and was acquired by NYT in January 2022 for its growing games business.
Game popularity
NBC will begin filming episodes this summer
Since its launch, Wordle has attracted a massive user base, bringing "tens of millions" of new users to The New York Times. Last year, NYT Games reported that users played more than 11 billion puzzles across all its games in a year. NBC will begin filming episodes for the game show this summer and is currently looking for contestants.