GAME SHOW NETWORK 2024 UPFRONT
SONY PICTURES TELEVISION ADVERTISER SALES HEADS INTO 2024 UPFRONT WITH GAME SHOW NETWORK’S STRONG SLATE OF NEW AND RETURNING ORIGINALS, BRANDED ENTERTAINMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN THE GAME SHOW VERTICAL AND FOR FIRST TIME TO MARKET DIGINET GREAT ENTERTAINMENT TELEVISION
NEW YORK - (April 2, 2024) – Sony Pictures Television Advertiser Sales announced offerings for the 2024 Upfronts will continue to include options in live viewing, integrations, and syndicated programming along with new to the general market top rated diginet Great Entertainment Television (get.) Continuing to deliver top levels of impassioned and engaged viewers watching live and preeminent commercial retention in the industry, opportunities exist with Game Show Network’s successful original programming slate and branded entertainment opportunities in America’s most successful and long running game shows, JEOPARDY! and WHEEL OF FORTUNE, as well as positions in some of the most iconic shows in syndication. Diginet get. offers popular classic and contemporary programs with enduring appeal.
A top 14 cable network Game Show Network remains a prolific producer of content, as a result of its continued commitment to delivering high quality original programming and the consistency of a stripped schedule.
Game Show Network has greenlit three new strip series, BEAT THE BRIDGE, based on the popular UK format from STV Studios, to be hosted by Cameron Mathison (“General Hospital”, “Home & Family”) and revived classic TIC TAC DOUGH hosted by the incomparable Brooke Burns (“Master Minds”, “The Chase”). Both shows are scheduled to air this summer. Recently announced FLIP SIDE hosted by Jaleel White (“Family Matters”) is the new syndicated game show from Game Show Enterprises Studios for CBS Media Ventures premiering in syndication and concurrently on Game Show Network this fall.
Rounding out the schedule are the recently premiered comedic game show format BLANK SLATE (January 2024), hosted by Mario Lopez (“Access Hollywood”), SPLIT SECOND with new episodes in April, hosted by Emmy®-Nominated Game Show Host John Michael Higgins (“America Says”, “Pitch Perfect”) in his second hit for the network and also returning with new episodes in April is SWITCH, a quick-moving trivia show where contestants take positions behind large numbers from 1 to 5, hosted by actor Jeff Hephner (“Chicago Med”, “Chicago Fire”). All three Game Show Network originals score high in Total Viewers with BLANK STATE averaging nearly 400K+ and both SPLIT SECOND and SWITCH are averaging over 400K+
Additional offerings include short-form ad options in America’s most successful game shows in history, JEOPARDY! and WHEEL OF FORTUNE, as well as premium commercial environments in the SPT syndicated programming portfolio comprised of S.W.A.T., the critically acclaimed off-network drama airing on network television for seven seasons, laugh-along iconic comedies such as SEINFELD and THE GOLDBERGS as well as the return of courtroom entertainment programming.
“In keeping with Game Show Network’s strategy, we continue to produce originals to keep our pipeline fresh, which resonates with our viewers. As the overall marketplace faces headwinds, Game Show Network has weathered the storm better than most of its counterparts in both viewership and distribution. Our audience is highly engaged with our programs and our client’s commercials are viewed in a trusted environment,” said Stuart Zimmerman, executive vice president, Ad Sales, Sony Pictures Advertiser Sales.
New Series
Game Show Network will debut three new original series this year: BEAT THE BRIDGE premiering in June, TIC TAC DOUGH premiering in August and FLIP SIDE premiering in September.
Hosted by Cameron Mathison (“General Hospital”, “Home & Family”) and based on the hit BBC show Bridge Of Lies and format created by STV Studios, BEAT THE BRIDGE features an enormous interactive bridge that dares players to cross by stepping on the right answers to challenging trivia questions. Each step forward puts money in the team’s bank, with bonus money for each successful crossing. However, the team gets to keep the money only if it can “beat the bridge” by returning one of its players back across before time expires in an exciting end game. BEAT THE BRIDGE is a Game Show Enterprises Studios production with Ed Egan as executive producer and Sabrina Hybel Snow as co-executive producer. Josephine Brassey, Gary Chippington and David Mortimer serve as executive producers for STV Studios.
TIC TAC DOUGH is an update of NBCUniversal’s classic format originally created by Robert Noah. Host Brooke Burns (“Master Minds”, “The Chase”) guides two contestants as they compete to place three of their marks in a row on the giant trivia board. Both players must try to avoid the dragon, who lurks to steal their turns and stands in their path to victory. After three rounds, the winning player moves on to face the dragon in the grand prize round, where the dragon moves strategically on the board to block the player’s ability to make three-in-a-row and take home $10,000. TIC TAC DOUGH is a Game Show Enterprises Studios production with Rane Laymance as executive producer and Sabrina Hybel Snow as co-executive producer. Village Roadshow Television (VRTV) serves as the studio with Harry Friedman, NBC’s Brenda Milinkovic and VRTV’s Shannon Perry executive producing.
Hosted by Jaleel White (“Family Matters”), FLIP SIDE is a fresh take on a traditional game show and based on the format created by Keller Noll. The easy to play-along game show pits two teams of players against each other to test them on how they think two different groups of people feel about the same issue. The teams compete for a shot at $10,000 by guessing the top answers based on anonymous surveys – which can be provocative, surprising, and laugh-out-loud funny! FLIP SIDE is a Game Show Enterprises Studios production for CBS Media Ventures with Jay James, Corin Nelson and Rich Sirop serving as executive producers. T. Jones serves as co-executive producer. Cleve Keller and Dave Noll (Keller/Noll) and Ken Ross serve as executive producers.
Among the shows on the Game Show Network schedule in 2024 and in the SPT portfolio include:
BLANK SLATE, based on the board game by USAopoly, is a Game Show Enterprises Studios production with Rane Laymance serving as executive producer. Richard Gerrits and Laura Robinson also serve as Executive Producers for Heath Street Media Inc. SPLIT SECOND is based on a format from game show legend Monty Hall and produced by Game Show Enterprises Studios with Michael Binkow as executive producer. Nancy Glass, Marcus Lemonis, and Sharon Hall also serve as executive producers for Marcus/Glass Productions. John Michael Higgins serves as host and executive producer. SWITCH is based on a hit show in Belgium from DIGA Studios (“Hot Ones: The Game Show”) and based on a format developed by Panenka for VRT in Belgium and distributed globally by Lineup Industries. Executive producers for DIGA Studios are Tony DiSanto and Nick Rigg. Rich Sirop also serves as executive producer.
JEOPARDY!, America’s Favorite Quiz Show™ celebrating its 60th birthday in 2024, is the top-rated quiz show on television, and has received numerous awards and honors. WHEEL OF FORTUNE, with new host Ryan Seacrest starting this fall, is trademarked as America’s Game™. Both iconic shows are produced by Sony Pictures Television, a Sony Pictures Entertainment Company. They are distributed domestically by CBS Media Ventures and internationally by Paramount Global Content Distribution, both units of Paramount.
Great Entertainment Television (get.) brings vintage favorites, classic comedies such as GOOD TIMES and SANFORD & SONS along with police procedurals such as MAGNUM PI, KOJAK and THE ROCKFIRD FILES to name a few. Now Nielsen-rated, get. has grown double digits year over year on the back of some of television’s most enduring and iconic titles. (+13% total day p2+).
About Sony Pictures Television
Sony Pictures Television (SPT) is one of the television industry’s leading content providers, producing, distributing and carrying programming worldwide in every genre and for every platform. In addition to managing one of the industry’s largest libraries of award-winning feature films, television shows and formats, SPT is home to a thriving global content business, operating a robust portfolio of wholly-owned and joint-venture production companies across the U.S., Europe, Latin America, and Asia Pacific, as well as linear and digital channels around the world. SPT is a Sony Pictures Entertainment Company, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Group Corporation.
About Game Show Network, LLC
Game Show Network, LLC (“Game Show Network”) is the leader in game show entertainment across multimedia, which presents original and classic game programming and competitive entertainment via its cable network; the digital ad supported network, Game Show Central; the GameShowNetwork.com website; and Game Show Enterprises Studios, the production arm of the network and studio that develops and produces hundreds of hours of original episodes, including PEOPLE PUZZLER and MASTER MINDS among others, making Game Show Network the premiere destination for fun, family-friendly programming. Game Show Network is distributed throughout the U.S., Caribbean and Canada by all major cable operators, satellite providers and telcos. Game Show Network is owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Group Corporation. For further information, please visit GameShowNetwork.com
About Great Entertainment Television
Anchored by Sony Pictures Entertainment’s vast TV and film library, Great Entertainment Television (get.) is a national TV network dedicated to your favorite TV series. get. features action, crime, vintage comedy and western TV shows from all eras. Great Entertainment Television is owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Group Corporation. For information, visit get.tv and connect with the network on Facebook, X and Instagram.
For additional information and photos, please go to https://press.gsntv.com/ and https://www.sonypictures.com/tv
Sources:
1) NPOWER, Ratings Analysis Time Period Report, Live + SD, 1/1/24-2/11/24, Viewing Source – Broadcast -ALL, M-SU 9A-6A, (000), P35+.
2) NPOWER, Ratings Analysis Time Period Report, Live + SD, 1/1/24-2/11/24 , Viewing Source – Ad Supported Cable - ALL, M-SU 6A-6A, (000), P2+.
3) Nielsen Media Research National MIT, Star Media MultiTrak Reporting System , Viewing Type: Live+SD, Network: GSN, Measurement Interval: 1/30/23 -5/16/23, 4/17/23-8/1/23 & 1/8/24-2/23/24, Name Averages – Switch, Split Second, Blank Slate, 7:00P-7:30P, 7:30P -8:00P, 6:00-6:30P, (000), P2+.
4) NPOWER, Ratings Analysis Time Period Report, Live + SD,12/27/21-12/25/22 & 12/26/22-12/31/23, Viewing Source – Broadcast -ALL, M-SU 9A-6A, (000), P2+.
