NBC has greenlit a prime-time Wordle game show hosted by Savannah Guthrie, executive produced with The New York Times, debuting in 2027.
A worldwide word game obsession is stepping into prime-time television. and NBC’s upcoming Wordle game show is set to bring the daily ritual of five-letter puzzles to the TV screen.. With a focus on speed and competition. the show will feature Wordle in a way that reflects its everyday appeal. hosted by Savannah Guthrie—who has also described herself as a dedicated fan of the game.
NBC has approved a new series built around the hit puzzle format. with the program scheduled to run in prime time.. Guthrie, the network’s anchor and a self-confessed Wordle megafan, is set to host, according to the plan.. The series is expected to be executive produced by Jimmy Fallon and The New York Times, which owns Wordle.
The premiere is currently targeted for 2027, and casting is already underway.. For viewers hoping to appear as contestants, the application process is open through wordle.castingcrane.com.. Contestants will play in teams of three. meaning applicants are expected to coordinate with “a couple of buddies or family members” to join them on the show.. Applicants will also need to provide their Wordle statistics as part of the selection process, to demonstrate their proficiency.
In a statement. Sharon Vuong. executive vice president of unscripted programming at NBC. described Wordle as one of the most successful and culturally resonant games of the last decade.. She positioned the project as a “natural extension” of NBC’s history with game shows. adding that the network expects to deliver a “smart. joyful” take on a global phenomenon.
The TV format is designed to retain the core challenge of Wordle—solving five-letter word puzzles—while adding a speed element not central to the original daily experience.. The intention. based on how the series has been framed. is to preserve the thrill of discovery for players who already know the game. while turning it into a more time-pressured contest for television.
The path from viral website game to TV series has been underway for years, according to The New York Times’ involvement. The report stated that the paper had been developing Wordle as a game show for several years, and that momentum increased once Fallon came into the process.
Caitlin Roper. executive editorial director of film and tv at The Times. said the team wanted to honor what makes Wordle feel special to its players. including the particular thrill of how people play and share scores.. At the same time. she said the goal was to create something new for television rather than simply transplanting the daily game into a different medium.
Wordle itself was created by Josh Wardle in 2021. initially as a game he and his partner could play during the pandemic.. He later released it on his website, where it quickly became a national obsession.. The New York Times acquired Wordle in January 2022 for an undisclosed amount described as being in the “low seven figures.”
Since that acquisition. Wordle has continued to draw new players. and the game’s popularity has fed into broader growth for The Times.. The report stated that Wordle has boosted subscriptions to both the newspaper and New York Times Games. with the company later taking steps to protect player habits—offering access to more than 1. 000 past puzzles starting two years ago.. That approach was meant to ensure that attempts on older puzzles wouldn’t affect streaks or other statistics that regular players are known to guard closely.
While The Times does not publicly share precise user numbers, it has suggested a large weekly audience. Jonathan Knight, general manager of New York Times Games, said that “tens of millions” of people play Wordle each week, creating what the report described as a dedicated community.
Part of Wordle’s staying power comes from the way players and the game interact.. The report noted that Wordle has a human curator. which creates a dynamic between “constructor” and “solver.” The setup also includes a sense that the puzzle-holder is trying to outsmart the player. and even when someone doesn’t solve a given day’s word. the result can make players return.. At the same time. the game’s community side is reinforced by player behavior: many share daily wins and losses. and the puzzles are discussed on forums run by The Times.
The report also linked Wordle’s success to growth across The Times’ other word and puzzle offerings.. It cited games such as Spelling Bee. which launched online in 2018. and Pips. which became a permanent part of the company’s games collection last year.. In this way. Wordle has acted as both a standalone hit and a gateway to the broader portfolio of puzzle products.
Meanwhile, the game’s creator continues to build on the concept.. Two months ago, Josh Wardle released a new game called Parseword, the report stated.. Parseword is described as significantly more challenging. with a more advanced ruleset that can be frustrating for players who don’t have a strong grasp of English.
Parseword’s structure requires players to analyze clue words. swap them out for synonyms. and combine the results to find two synonymous words.. It is not designed for trial-and-error guessing; instead, it rewards deeper word reasoning.. Even so. the report said Parseword has already attracted a dedicated group of players. suggesting that the creator’s puzzle audience is continuing to follow new formats beyond Wordle.
Wordle game show NBC prime time Savannah Guthrie The New York Times Games Jimmy Fallon casting applications 2027 premiere
Cool, another prime-time game show built around clicking five letters until you’re allowed to go outside. I get that people love Wordle, but turning it into a “speed and competition” format just feels like it’ll turn a relaxing daily ritual into another frantic cable broadcast.
Megan, I hear you on the “frantic” part, but honestly game-show speed mechanics are basically the whole genre. If they keep the core five-letter puzzle intact and just add timed rounds/team format, it could work. The bigger question to me is whether they’re going to lean too hard on TV-style drama vs. just letting people solve. Wordle’s strength is simplicity.
Dylan and Megan are both right to worry about turning it into a spectacle. Also: Savannah Guthrie hosting doesn’t automatically mean it’ll be fun. And requiring people to submit Wordle stats sounds like they’re going to over-select super-fans who treat it like a sport. That’s fine, but it stops being “everyday appeal” real fast.
I’ll probably watch the first couple episodes just to see how they structure it. I’m not looking for chaos though—Wordle is better when you’re half-awake at 7 a.m., not competing like it’s the Olympics. If they keep it light, great. If it turns into yelling over clocks, I’m out.